When The Night Comes Falling From The Sky
by Carlotta Valdez
Summary: Old School rewrite of Clue of the Screeching Owl with a modern twist of action, romance, and contemporary themes. This story is generally pretty mellow though it does have some sexual content best read by T. Old school with a racy streak through it.
1. Chapter 1

Part 1

The painted sign on the second floor window read: Hardy, Morton, & Hardy. Private Investigations. The building, an old turn of the century brick had a deli on the first floor and was settled downtown on Mulberry Street in the city of Bayport. Bayport was an eastern seaboard town with population of about forty thousand.

It was a warm day for October. A mailman in his fifties was making his rounds. He gave a start as he approached the steps to the agency. He disliked having to deliver bulk mail to businesses that weren't on the street. None the less he climbed the steps and came to a door with a glass panel that also had the detectives names stenciled on it. He walked into the offices which were nothing more than a large room consisting of the entire floor, divided by a few partitions. Sitting at a conference table just inside the door were three men.

All appeared to be in their twenties. Two of the men looked similar in facial appearance though one had dark hair and slightly larger frame than the other, who had blonde hair. The third man was of larger build than both. Easily over six foot and the build of a professional football player. He looked to the mailman as he walked in. He smiled.

"Mornin' Harry!" he greeted, "what's the good word?" The mail carrier smiled.

"Hey there, Chet. Not too much." he said. The dark hair man looked up from some paperwork and smiled.

"Hey, Harry. Anything exciting for us today?" The carrier smiled.

"Guess that all depends on what you are looking for. Looks like the usual bills," he said handing a bundle of mail to Frank. He then smiled and handed a wrapped periodical to Chet.

"Here ya go Chet, Playboy right on time." Chet sheepishly took the magazine as the blonde looked over to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Chet, why do you have that sent here and not your apartment?" Chet grinned.

"Well, Joe. When I first subscribed I was still living at home, and well, you know. My mom really doesn't need to see that." he said. Joe grinned.

"Ah Chet..." he started and then Frank looked up after reading a letter.

"Listen up guys, something important." he started. The mailman threw his bag over his shoulder and waved.

"Back to business, guys. Have a good one!" he called and walked out the door. Chet and Joe turned their attention to Frank. Frank looked up.

"Joe, remember Captain Macguire?" He asked. Joe thought for a moment then got a faraway look in his eye.

"Oh yeah. Dad's friend. Retired police captain." Frank nodded.

"That's the one. Well, this letter is from him. He was trying to reach dad, but couldn't I guess. Anyway he says here that there have been some weird goings on in Black Hollow."

"Black Hollow??" Chet repeated. "Where in the world is that?" he asked. Frank looked up.

"Just outside a small town called Forrestburg over in Pennsylvania. He lives on the edge of this enormous hollow. The captain doesn't go into much detail but he is requesting help immediately as he is very concerned. But with what I don't know." Chet looked up.

"Sounds a bit cryptic." he said. Joe took a drink of coffee.

"Well, if I remember the captain, he wasn't one to ask for help unless he really needed it. He is a very self sufficient chap as I recall." Frank nodded.

"Without a doubt. This letter bothers me. I think we should go there immediately and investigate. After all, if dad wasn't on the other side of the state on a case I'd just call him and ask him to check in on the captain. But we are closer." Joe nodded.

"Sounds like a good idea. Besides we haven't any other case pending right now anyway." Chet looked dubious.

"Well, I'm all for it too, but it seems that this area is not going to be filled with Holiday Inns and Wal-Marts. Seems more like a camping trip." Joe smiled.

"Right you are Chet. When we were last there with dad years ago this place was in the middle of nowhere. The small town of Forrestburg was tiny at best and what they did have there in regards to supplies was just an old Sears Roebuck that probably still had things on backorder from the 1940s. It would be wise to pack some good supplies before going as I'm not sure what other towns are around there and care not to gamble." Frank nodded and smiled. He stood up.

"Well then, how about you and Joe go get the supplies and I will drop a call to the girls to have them come in more often in the next week to check mail and messages and such." Chet and Joe nodded.

"That will work." Chet said and stood up. "Ready, Joe?" Joe smiled and got up. The pair walked out the door and down the steps. They came out on Mulberry street where Frank's car, a Ford Crown Victoria police interceptor sat. Joe motioned to Chet's vehicle.

"Yours is bigger and we will probably drive that anyway." he said motioning to Chet's recently purchased GMC Yukon. Joe got in the passenger side while Chet took the wheel. The motor roared into life. Chet looked to Joe.

"Where to first?" he asked. Joe gave it some thought.

"Seems we can get most of our stuff at Sports World." he said referring to a large sporting good store chain in their area where they had everything remotely connected to any type of sporting activity. Chet nodded and turned the SUV onto the road. Within ten minutes Chet had found the interstate and was picking up the pace. A few moments later a bright red Camero convertible slid up into the lane next to Chet. Chet glanced to the side, then did a double take. He saw the driver of the Camero was a female in her early twenties sporting a short skirt and had a white blouse unbuttoned down to her navel. He smiled.

"Hey Joe. Check her out. Is it just me or did she forget to button up before she left the house?" Joe sat up and leaned over. He smiled.

"Ya think she's a tease, Chet?" he said. The Camero sped up. Chet floored his accelerator also. Joe looked over at him quizzically.

"Just remember Chet, that is a small high performance sports car and this is a damn near bus. Also 90 of women that age have nice legs... among other things." Chet slowed to a more reasonable speed.

"Your right, Joe. Anyway that exit should be right around here somewhere. Ah, there it is." he said signaling to change lanes. Soon he exited off the freeway and was turning into the massive parking lot of Sports World which was located right off the highway. Chet parked and he and Joe got out and soon were inside the three acre showroom.

"Let's see," said Chet, "a tent is in order." Joe nodded and was about to pick out a tent when Chet bore down on him.

"What is that?" he asked with doubt. Joe looked up.

"The box says it sleeps four." Chet placed it back on the shelf.

"It may Say that but take a look at it. Doesn't it look a lot like that tent we bought that we used in Mexico last year? It might sleep four midgets, but four men. No way! Now you sit back and let me handle it. I am flush with that case I did last month." He and Joe walked over to the information booth. Chet smiled.

"Hello, can you show me your largest sleeping tents. And also one of those screened in tents that you can eat dinner at with a table and keep the bugs away at the same time?" The man smiled.

"Certainly. This way please." he said escorting them back to the tent area. He walked down a large isle and pulled upon a huge long box.

"Now, this sleeping tent has partitions that are removable. So you can have one big room or five smaller rooms. The overall dimensions are twenty four by thirty foot. And also," he said pulling on another large box. "We have this screened in tent. Comes with sealed floor and heavy gauge screen walls. It measures eighteen foot square." Chet smiled with satisfaction.

"We'll take those. Now can you show me something in the line of gas grills?" he asked. Joe rolled his eyes. The man led them to the grills. Chet looked about.

"Now tell me which of these is the best?" The salesman pointed to a large stainless steel grille.

"This one here sir. It has twin grills and a broiler underneath. It also comes equipped with a self contained sink and prep area. As well as an auxiliary backup propane tank." Chet nodded.

"Looks good. We'll take it too." Joe cleared his throat.

"Chet, do you really think we need the presidential treatment. I mean are we really going to lug all this stuff into the woods?"

"We might as well get what we need. If you say this place is so primitive then we had better come prepared." Joe gave a faint smile.

"Then again, we don't want to be over prepared either." he said. Chet waved him off. He grabbed a large cart.

"We have some other things to get, can you have those three items brought to the front for when we checkout?" he asked the salesman. He nodded.

"Certainly sir. Will be there waiting for you." he said with a smile and walked off. Chet and a less enthusiastic Joe whisked through another twenty isles with Chet filling the cart with an assortment of items, many of which Joe deemed unnecessary. They finally reached the checkout. Joe watched the scanner bleep away as the bill added up. After fifteen minutes the clerk had scanned the last item. He his a few more buttons on the register and then looked to Chet.

"That will be $5,473.88 sir." Chet smiled and tossed down his American Express card. The boys soon had the Yukon bulging with everything one would need to camp and several things one wouldn't need. Joe smiled to Chet.

"Gee Chet, I really admire your ability to go all out on this case out of your own money." Chet smiled.

"That's ok, Joe. And since he is a friend of your family, I will only charge him cost for these things." Joe gave a start then smiled.

"I'd hate to tell you this Chet, but since the captain was a good friend of the family, if a case came up we were not going to charge him." Chet raised his eyebrows. Joe smiled.

"Perhaps it best to tell you about him. Captain Macguire is a retired police captain who lives in a small cabin and lives a very frugal existence on a small pension. He probably has less than a grand a month income." Chet gave a smile then shrugged.

"Well, then. Not a big deal. Charity work is important too." he said and guided the Yukon towards the east side of town was where the Hardy home was. Fifteen minutes later Chet pulled up to the corner of High and Elm. Frank's car was present. Chet and Joe got out and walked in the side kitchen door. Laura Hardy was in her ever present place in the kitchen cooking. No one was sure why she is cooking since her husband is in another state and the boys are about to take off on a case, but none the less she was there fixing one of her famous twelve course meals. Joe gave her a kiss upon entering.

"Smells good mom, but I guess Frank has told you we got called out on a case?" His mother smiled and nodded.

"Yes, and do be careful. I hope the captain is alright. And please make sure you have enough supplies." Joe let out a laugh.

"We couldn't fit anything more in there if we tried." Mrs. Hardy smiled.

"Maybe not, but before you leave go downstairs to the deep freeze and take some meat with you." Chet smiled.

"Yes Ma'am." he said with his eye on a fresh pie that Mrs. Hardy had apparently recently made. Laura hardy smiled knowingly. She looked at Chet.

"Gertrude made that pie, Chet. She made it for the church social tomorrow." Chet sighed looking crestfallen. Mrs. Hardy walked over to the pantry. She opened it and pulled out another pie. She brought it over to Chet.

"Gertrude said to give this one to you when you stopped by and started eyeing the one on the table." Joe burst out laughing. Chet took the pie with a grin.

"Your aunt knows me too well, Joe" he said. Joe looked up.

"How could that be? Maybe because you eat more of your meals here than anywhere else?" he needled. Chet smiled as they headed into the back of the house and entered the Hardy study. Frank looked up from the desk.

"Hi, did you get everything?" he asked.

"And then some." Joe confirmed. Chet looked down at the desk.

"Mapping the route out, Frank?" he asked. Frank nodded.

"Yep. If we take some side roads I think we can make it there by late tonight." Chet nodded.

"Cool." Joe looked over to the safe.

"Guess a little money and hardware are in order." he said walking over to the large safe concealed in the closet. He dialed the combination and opened the door. He fished about in the safe and pulled out some money. He then took out several boxes of cartridges for their sidearm.

"Chet, got three hundred grain cartridges for your .44 if you need some." Chet smiled.

"It's ok. I bought some ordinance at Sports World." he said. Joe mockly slapped himself on the head.

"How could I forget. The clerk rang up so much ammunition I'm surprised he didn't ask if you were heading for Iraq." He said. Frank took a couple boxes of shells from Joe and placed tem in a bag.

"Ready guys?" Frank asked. Joe and Chet nodded. The group headed back through to the kitchen where Mrs. Hardy was still making dinner. She looked to the boys.

"Now here is some meat I pulled from the freezer." she said gesturing to the bags on the floor. "You boys be careful and call your father if you get into a jam. Good luck and have fun!" she said. the group exchanged pleasantries and headed out to the Yukon. Frank looked in awe at the slam packed rear of the SUV.

"Wow Chet, we have enough goods to stay away until next summer." Chet nodded.

"Good to be prepared!" he smiled and started up the Yukon as he packed away the food he just received. Frank studied the map as Chet drove south on the interstate.

"Ok Chet. In another hundred miles or so you will want to switch off to west bound highway 12." Chet nodded. He drove along in silence. A little over two hours later Chet exited onto highway 12. They drove on the small two laner for some time. Seeing nothing as they penetrated into the deep rural heartland. Chet looked about wearily.

"Not even a Burger King around here." he grumbled, "Frank, are you sure this side road route will be quicker?" Frank nodded.

"This route will save us a couple hundred miles at least. Don't worry, when we come to a gas station we can stop and you can buy some candy bars if nothing else." Chet looked skeptical.

"Wish all that meat your mom gave us wasn't froze. We could get out and have a bar-b-cue." Frank and joe grinned. For they knew that under all his grumbling that Chet could be counted on in any tight spot. He was soon rewarded as a gas station came into view. Chet pulled up to the pump and got out. An attendant came up.

"Fill it up my good man." he said and headed into the station. He rolled his eyes when he found the only food was indeed candy bars, and in a vending machine no less. He walked to the attendant and handed him a twenty dollar bill.

"Can I get some quarters please?" he asked. The man gave him two rolls of quarters and Chet returned to the vending machines and pretty much emptied them of junk food. He placed everything in a paper bag and walked outside. He paid for the gas and got back in. He handed Joe the bag. Joe peered into the large bag and whistled.

"Gee Chet, there must be thirty thousand calories here." he said looking up. Chet smiled.

"Dig in boys, plenty for everyone." he said. He pulled out and continued down highway 12. In the late afternoon Frank studied the map again and looked over to Chet.

"You should be coming to a south highway 23 soon. When you do, take it." Chet nodded.

"Real peaceful around here" he said noting the lack of existence of anything for all practical purposes. Frank laughed.

"Highway 23 should take us into Pennsylvania. But don't expect any brass band. Since the interstate went up years back this stretch of road is pretty empty." Chet looked about.

"All I see out here are farms." Joe laughed.

"Well Chet, that is what they do out here. The Pennsylvania Dutch are primarily farmers." he said. Chet was still uneasy about the surroundings.

"Well, still, couldn't they put in some Wal-Marts around here and make the place at least look lived in?" he wondered aloud. Frank gave a laugh.

"Chet, the farmers and people in general around here are pretty conservative. They have little to no need for an excess of stores or any items they deem as luxuries."

Minutes later Chet turned onto the small rural road named highway 23. They soon entered the state of Pennsylvania. There were nothing much beyond rolling hills and occasional woodlands to see. An hour and a half rolled by with little conversation. Frank looked down at the map.

"We should be getting closer guys. Within another fifteen minutes I'd estimate we will find a turnoff for highway-TT." he said. Chet nodded. Twenty minutes later Chet spied a beat up road sign indicating highway-TT. He turned onto it. The road was nothing more than a single lane in bad need of repair. A few moments later Chet hit an enormous pothole. He turned to Frank.

"How soon till we are off this washboard, Frank?" he asked. Frank looked down at his map again.

"I'd say in twenty minutes we should hit Rim Road, which is the road the captain lives on." he said. "The Rim part is because the road is on the edge of the hollow." Chet looked back over to him nervously.

"Oh yeah, that hollow. I hope we don't have to go near that." he said. Joe smiled.

"Well Chet, we are going to have to go near it at least since the captain lives right on the edge." Chet looked over to him with a bit of nervousness. A short while later Frank pointed to a small wooden sign. It read simply: Rim Road. Chet turned onto it. Rim Road was not much more than a paved road. No asphalt to speak of.

"The captain lives at the end of the road." Frank said. Chet nodded and sped along the road as fast as he dared. Thirty minutes later Frank and Joe began to show vague signs of recognition of the area.

"Should be anytime now." Joe said.. Chet nodded wearily.

"I hope so. There isn't much left to this road." He said bouncing along. Sure enough minutes later they pulled up before a small cabin. It sat very close to the large expanse that was Black Hollow. The cabin was small and neat. There was a small older black convertible sitting in front. Joe smiled.

"That's the captain's car. It's over forty years old but he keeps it looking like new." he said. The group got out of the Yukon and stretched. Frank led the way to the cabin door. It seemed eerily quiet. Frank looked about and gave a few sharp raps upon the door. No answer. Frank knocked again, harder. Still, no one came to the door. Perplexed by the presence of the car yet no owner made the group wonder. Frank led the way around back. Again, he rapped loudly upon the rear door. Still, no answer. Joe and Chet walked in the small back yard to the hollow's edge. There was a sheer drop into the blackness. The hollow indeed lived up to it's name. Chet quavered at the eerie darkness which seemed to go on forever. They walked back to the cabin where Frank was still looking about the outside.

"Guess we should check out the inside." Frank said finding no clues outside to where the captain might be. He tried the back door and to his surprise it opened. They walked inside and Frank called out the captain's name. Silence. He looked to the others.

"Well, let's each take a room and search for clues. This is damn strange." he said in a somewhat worried tone. Chet looked up with a shrug.

"Why so strange? I mean maybe he's just not home." Chet countered. Frank shook his head.

"It's not like the captain to not lock his door, or not leave a note when expecting visitors or to not put the top up on his car. He is a meticulous person that way. I don't want to think negatively either, but I am beginning to think that he left here in a big hurry." Joe nodded.

"Me too. Let's search this cabin and see what we can find." he said. "Let's each take a room." the three separated and started investigating. In less than thirty minutes later Joe and Chet came back into the kitchen where Frank was searching. Frank looked up.

"Well, the only real thing I could find is the fact that the captain's old time ice box had overflowed. The water trays on these things need to be changed and when they aren't they overflow onto the floor. I'd say judging by the degree of water here that he hasn't been around for at least a full day. Maybe more. How about you guys?" he asked. Joe held up a calender.

"There are some strange notations on this calender. For instance, September third, she screamed. September eighth, explosion. September nineteenth, she screamed. September twenty sixth, she screamed..."

"Who screamed??" Chet asked aloud with a blank expression. Frank and Joe shook their heads together.

"Not sure, but I mean to find out." Frank said. Joe looked to Chet.

"Did you find anything?" he asked. Chet held out a hand.

"Well, IF the captain's gun rack was full, then there is a rifle missing. And I could only find one box of shells. Judging by the amount of guns it would seem he would have more ammo. It's my guess that if he went somewhere he went with a gun and a fair amount of ordinance." Frank slapped his fist into his palm.

"That clinches it for me. I am betting that the captain left here suddenly. He took a gun and it possibly involved those weird calender notations about screams." Joe nodded.

"Makes sense. And I will bet he went right into that hollow!" he said flatly. Frank nodded and looked at his watch.

"Let's pack it up and head down. We could get a couple miles before having to pitch camp." Chet looked dubious but conceded that the sooner the better.


	2. Chapter 2

They went out to the Yukon and packed the tent and several important items for the hike. Frank looked at Chet with a smile as they walked towards the hollow edge.

"Sorry we couldn't bring that nice looking gas grille, but with Joe and I getting weighed down by these tents and you carrying fifteen more important items, I'm afraid we don't have the ability to move it. Hell, what does that thing weigh, Chet? Two hundred pounds??" he laughed. Chet smiled defensively.

"It had wheels." he said. Joe smiled.

"And were they self propelled??" he needled. Chet shrugged.

"I half figured it would be too big so I have the pots and pans. We won't starve." he said. "Though this meat packed in ice is sure heavy. And they could certainly make coolers lighter." Frank looked over to him.

"Already complaining and we haven't even started." Joe grinned as he reached the edge of the hollow and looked down.

"Pretty steep guys! We better be careful." He said taking out a length of rope. He secured one end to a sturdy tree and threw the rest down into the hollow. Frank took a breath as he looked down.

"This will be fun alright. Ok, guys, let's scale down the hollow wall." they went down one at a time and scaled down about fifteen foot to the bottom. This wasn't bad as it was far deeper they assumed in other areas. Upon reaching the bottom they tried to get used to the excess darkness. It was dusk, but on the floor of the hollow it seemed like it was midnight. Frank pulled out a flashlight.

"Ok, Joe, take the rear. I will take point." he said pulling out his Ruger Super Blackhawk and checked it over. Chet checked his Smith & Wesson .44 model 29 and holstered it on the ready. They proceeded into the hollow. Progress was slow due to their large loads. After an hour of walking frank signaled to stop. He looked to the others.

"I am getting beat. These packs are extra heavy." he said with a pant. Joe nodded resting on his haunches.

"Me too. I say we pitch camp when we find a clearing big enough to pitch these tents of Chets." Frank looked up.

"How big are they??" he asked realizing he hadn't bothered to look. Joe smiled.

"Big enough!" he gave half a chuckle between breaths. Chet looked over to him.

"At least we will have a little room in these. Unlike those tiny things you wanted." Joe smiled and stood up.

"Well let's get moving. I want to settle camp before it gets too late." The others nodded and they continued their trek into the thick brush. About forty minutes later they came to a good sized clearing and Joe dropped his pack.

"This seems good to me." he said. Frank dropped his pack also and flopped to the ground.

"Me too. So far not a sign of the captain. Which isn't too surprising with the limited vision we have tonight. I still think this is the best lead we have." Chet nodded agreement and he too, fell to the ground.

"I'm beat!" he said looking up into the darkness. He dug around in his huge backpack and pulled out a set of small camp lights. He lit them and soon had the area well illuminated. Frank and Joe rolled out the two tents. Frank looked shocked upon seeing their dimensions. He looked over to Chet incredulously.

"Hey Chet? Are we expecting a football team tonight?" he asked with an air of sarcasm. Joe gave a chuckle.

"Really Chet, if not, we could probably play an official football game inside this thing. Ah well, guess we better get it up." he said and they went to their task. Thirty minutes of hard efforts brought the two tents up. Frank gasping sat back on the ground. He took out a bottle of water and drank. He let out a huge laugh sitting back and surveying the work.

"You know, we could start a circus Chet. I think maybe just a little overkill on the tents. But hey, at least we have them now. They should come in handy down the line." Joe smiled.

"Well, this isn't exactly discreet, but we can make this our headquarters. All we really need to make it a town is a few stone pillars and a post office." Chet cracked up.

"Your sarcasm knows no limits. But I will whip us up something to eat." Frank looked up.

"Now your talkin Chet. Get to it." Chet smiled and went about making up a makeshift grille and soon had a fire going. He took some of the steaks out that Mrs. Hardy had packed and put them on a the grille. He then went about assembling a small table and chairs and set them up in the screened tent. He then brought out some dinnerware and set the table. He returned to the grille and turned the steaks. He returned to the table and set up glasses. He put out some candles and lit them. He returned to the grille to retrieve the steaks and carried them on a plate over to the table. Frank and Joe had sat down. Somewhat stunned at all that Chet had managed to fit a table and chairs amongst his goods. He placed the grilled steaks before them and turn the glasses right side up. He walked over to his pack and pulled out a bottle of wine. He walked over and sat down. Frank looked at him with an animated look.

"Chet? I see salt and pepper, but no steak sauce."

"Damn!" Chet said. "I knew I forgot something!" He said. Joe smiled and tore into the steak.

"It's ok Chet, we will make do here." Chet opened the wine and poured it. Frank took a drink. He looked up impressed.

"Very nice. My compliments. A very nice meal." he said sitting back. They discussed the case at hand and enjoyed a peaceful meal. After eating Chet looked about the eerie darkness.

"One thing for sure, if there is something afoul, I think we should be on our toes. Let's keep a watch on.. This camp may attract unwanted attention." Frank nodded.

"Probably a wise idea. Chet, Joe and I will clean this up while you see about making the inside more comfortable. I assume you got some blankets in that deep pack of yours?" Chet smiled and nodded.

"We can do that." he said getting up. He went about laying out sleeping bags, kerosene lamps extra cleaning supplies and their portable short wave/GPS radio. He placed extra bottles of water in the tent. After making the inside livable he returned to the screened in tent where Frank had just made some coffee and was pouring cups. Chet sat down and took one gratefully.

"Just what I needed." he said thankfully. "So who takes first watch?" Frank smiled.

"I will. Let's see, it's ten now. I will wake Chet at one and you can wake Joe at four." Chet nodded.

"Good deal to me. Joe shall we get some sleep?" Joe nodded.

"Sounds like a plan." he said sleepily getting up. Chet and Joe walked into the tent. Joe was taken a little aback by the setup. The sleeping bags, lamps, supplies and radio all laid out nicely. How you got this all in your pack I will never know." Chet smiled.

"Trade secret. Pack yourself down like a mule." he said. He took out his pistol and laid it under his pillow. He then fell into his sleeping bag. He and Joe were soon asleep. The camp was in darkness aside from a small portable lamp frank had next to his sentry post. He looked about the darkness. No sounds could be heard aside from some of the local wildlife. Frank found himself dozing slightly. A moment later the peace was disrupted by a hideous scream!


	3. Chapter 3

Frank sat bolt upright. He heard noise inside the tent. Chet and Joe stormed out covered with sweat. Chet had his pistol stuck in his belt.

"Did you hear that Frank?" Chet asked tersely. Before Frank could give an affirmative answer the hollow was shaken again by another scream. Frank looked to his left.

"It's coming from the east! Come on, someone is in trouble!" he said quickly checking his Ruger. Armed with pistols and a flashlight they started running towards the east. The hideous cackling repeated itself again. They ran even harder when hearing it. After five minutes of near sprinting the stopped abruptly. They had come to the edge of a wide river. The torrent was moving quickly. Frank rested his hands against his legs and looked up.

"We're screwed! There's no way we can get across that river now and in the dark." Joe nodded and looked up.

"The screaming stopped. There's no way we could track the person anyway." Frank nodded grimly.

"But you can bet I will be investigating the other side of that river tomorrow!" he said firmly. The group retraced their steps back to camp. Frank looked at his watch and smiled to Chet.

"Your up next. Wake Joe at four." Chet nodded and took a seat in the shadows. He sat in the portable chair and made sure his weapon was loaded. He did not want to take a chance in the event anyone visited early that morning. The night wore on without further incident and he woke Joe at a few minutes past four.

"Your turn, pal." he said falling into the sleeping bag Joe had just surrendered. Joe took a seat at his post and looked about the darkness. A certain eerie feeling came over him. Almost as if he was being watched. Joe had his gun in an ankle holster and kept the strap open in case he needed it. The rest of his watch went by without any incident and by seven the alarm on Chet's watch had them up. He and Frank got up and stretched. They walked out to the smell of coffee which perked them up. Joe was knelt over a small fire and had coffee poured by the time they reached him. Frank took a cup.

"Thanks bro. This will help." He said. Chet smiled gratefully and took his cup.

"Quite a night, huh?" he asked the brothers. "Just what the Hell do you think that was?" Frank shook his head.

"Well, it Sounded like a woman screaming. Sounded like she was almost being tortured." Joe nodded.

"Almost sounded unhuman. But have no idea what would sound like that other than a woman in distress." Frank looked up.

"The answer is probably on the other side of that river." he said firmly. Joe took a drink.

"But how do you suggest we get over there? That river is pretty powerful." Frank shrugged.

"Maybe we can scale across the top with a rope or something." Chet had vanished into the tent a moment earlier. He came out with one of the duffels and a smile on his face. Frank looked at him.

"It's too early to be smiling Chet. Do you have an answer to our problem?" he asked. Chet nodded and held up the large bag. He unzipped it and Frank and Joe's eyes widened as Chet pulled out a large yellow looking piece of rubber looking fabric.

"A raft??" Frank asked in amazement. Sure enough Chet had laid out what appeared to be a large yellow inflatable boat.

"That's right!" he said with a prideful smile. Joe looked at the huge thing and back up to Chet.

"Well, if we have any energy left after we blow the Titanic up, it might work." Chet held up a finger and ent down. He pulled out a metal tab that seemed to be attached to the raft and suddenly the raft inflated automatically. Joe and Frank jumped back as the raft inflated to over twelve foot long. Frank looked down astounded.

"Chet, never let it be said you don't come prepared. Good work!" Joe gave a thin smile to his stout chum.

"One question Chet. This is great for sure, but you seem to have inflated it here and not at the river which is about a mile away." Chet looked down. He frowned for a minute, but then a smile returned to his lips.

"Well, we can always fill it with the supplies we need and carry it that way." Joe rolled his eyes slightly then smiled.

"Well, a tad precarious, but I think we can manage. Ok, lets do it." The group filled the raft with just what they needed, short wave,weapons, blankets, water and a small supply of food and a rope. They did their best to camouflage the supplies they left behind even though the tens themselves were fair game should anyone come along. They carried the raft along and after fifteen minutes came to the spot they found themselves at last night. Frank looked to the river.

"Pretty strong current. Wish I had a speedboat." Chet smiled as he fished through his pack. He smiled and pulled out a small portable motor. Frank looked up with a smile.

"A motor for the raft. Chet, you are a genius!" Chet smiled and attached the small power motor to the rear of the raft. With a couple swift pulls the motor sputtered into life. Chet smiled with satisfaction. Frank and Joe jumped in. Chet revved the motor and launched into the river. Frank and Joe smiled at the ease the boat took off from the edge. The current was strong however and ten foot into the water the motor started to sputter. Within a few more foot the motor totally died out. Chet turned to it immediately and started to pull on the starter cord furiously. He tried in vain. He worked furiously as the current picked up the raft and took it downstream. Frank and Joe looked about the raft for oars. A fearful look came to their faces. Joe leaned over to Chet who was still feverishly tinkering with the motor. Joe smiled tensely.

"Chet, in your quest to be a genius and bring along everything the experienced woodsman needs, did you by chance buy oars for this raft??" he asked. Chet managed a sheepish smile.

ot." he said tersely. By this time the current had swallowed them into the main torrent in the stream. Without a working motor or oars they were defenseless to control the raft which was gaining speed by the second.

"What's going to happen to us??" Chet wailed.

Frank managed a smile.

"I imagine the river will eventually narrow at some point and we will be able to grab an overhanging branch and stop." Chet looked dubious as he and the others grabbed the side rails as the current swept them downstream. All they could do was to hope that the boat wouldn't get ripped to bits on the jagged rocks. They drifted at a blinding pace for nearly half an hour. Relief came when the river channel started to narrow. Frank sat up and looked about.

"I see some low hanging branches. I will jump and try to grab them. Joe make sure you grab my feet if I jump too high." Joe nodded. Frank positioned himself made sure he was ready. Just as they started to approach the branches Frank jumped and grabbed firmly. Joe wrapped his arms around his brother's legs and dropped to a seated position. They had stopped! They were sitting in the stream, current still strong. They were about nine foot off of a densely wooded shoreline. Frank looked to Chet.

"Chet, grab that length of rope and attempted to lasso a dead stump. After four tries he got the rope around it. He pulled the rope firmly and tied the other end to the boat rail. Frank let the branch go and dropped back to a seated position.

"Ok, chet, pull us in." he said with some exhaustion. Chet slowly tugged on the rope and pulled the raft towards shore. It was hard pulling against the current but finally he pulled the raft in. Frank and Joe jumped out, then Chet. They pulled the raft onto the shore line and sat in a small clearing by the thicket. Chet looked up.

"Well, it's a cinch we are still in the hollow" he said looking up and seeing very little light was penetrating the dense woodlands despite it being nearly nine in the morning. Joe smiled.

"Oh yeah. We are still in the hollow. Just a hell of a lot deeper in it. What say Frank? Thirty or forty minutes at fast current. Safe to assume we are a good fifteen plus miles deeper into the hollow." Frank nodded grimly.

"This place is definitely huge. It will take a year to search at this rate. What should we do?" Chet looked worried.

"We also have a minimal of supplies and are now pushing twenty miles from our supply stockpile. No way we can walk that far with the limited supplies in this terrain." Frank looked grim. They sat silently for awhile. Chet suddenly had a thought cross his mind. He took on a smile. Frank and Joe looked at him questioningly.

"You have a thought, Chet?" Joe asked anxiously. Chet held out his hands.

"How about calling in reinforcements?" he said. Frank rubbed his chin.

"Elaborate, Chet." Chet smiled.

"We have the short wave, why not see if we can contact Bill or Tony to come out and give us a hand?" Frank smiled already reaching for the radio. Joe grinned.

"That would work fine." he looked out at the water and a thought struck him. He eagerly looked about.

"Frank, do you have the map?" he asked. Frank nodded and handed it over. Joe took it and eagerly studied it. A few moments later he looked up with a smile.

"Just as I thought. This river links to a bigger river up outside the hollow. And that river snakes about and comes out to a channel that feeds to the Atlantic. In short, they could conceivably take the sleuth and come by water and pick us up right here!" Frank smiled again and with this information flipped on the short wave. He tuned it in to a frequency that the Hardys and their closest friends kept tuned to through similar radio sets. He tried to make contact but there was no response. He looked down dejectedly.

"Damn, neither of them have their radios on!" Chet smiled and reached in his pocket. He pulled out his cell phone.

"We can always try this method." he said holding the phone up. Frank rolled his eyes.

"Chet, as you pointed out on the way down here there is nothing but a bunch of farms and not much else. I doubt there is any signal in this area." Chet shrugged and turned his phone on none the less. He gave a triumphant smile as he turned the face of the phone towards Frank. It showed signal. Not an overly powerful one, but a signal none the less. Frank looked amazed.

"No Wal-Marts around here but there is a satellite pointed at least somewhat in this direction. Go figure." He smiled and took the phone. He punched in Bill Hoopers phone number. Within seconds his pal was on the line.

"Hey Bill? Frank. What's up? Yeah? Cool. Say, I was curious what you were up to for the next several days? Yeah. We are here in eastern Pennsylvania. We are in a little jam. Was wondering if you and possibly Tony could get the Sleuth and head over here. Huh? Yeah. We were looking the map over and it could work. Sure. Yes, this is Chet's cell, so ring me back here. Yep. Thanks Bill. I will be right here waiting. Bye!" He said and hung up. He looked to the others.

"He is calling Tony up to see if he will tag along." he said. Joe and Chet nodded. Chet passed around a water bottle and they sat and waited. Within five minutes the cell phone went off. Frank flipped it on.

"Frank here." he answered. "Yeah. That would be great. You can? Great. Ok, I am going to look at the map and read you the directions to get here. Got a pen? Ok. Here goes..." he said and proceeded to relay directions on how they could get to the hollow via water. Within ten minutes Frank was confident Bill had the directions and finished up. He smiled and tossed the phone back to Chet.

"They should leave within the hour!" he said with a smile. Chet looked up.

"Great. How long do you think it will take them to get here?" Frank looked down at the map.

"Well unless I miss my guess and if they don't dawdle abut, should be under eight hours." Joe nodded.

"That isn't bad. We can hold up here pretty easy with our supplies for eight hours." Chet and Frank nodded. The group went about making a makeshift camp in the clearing area next to the river's edge. Chet pulled out a coffee pot from his pack. Joe looked up smiling.

"Always resourceful Chet. Thank god you brought the coffee." he said. Chet smiled and made a small fire. He put the small kettle on the embers after the fire burned down a bit. He looked around a bit. Frank looked around a bit.

"We should still stay on alert. If the captain did disappear down here that means something bad is afoot. Keep on the ready." Chet nodded nervously. He pulled the pistol out of his belt and made sure it was loaded. A moment later he heard a noise in the bushes. He held up a hand suddenly. Frank and Joe looked alert. Frank removed his gun slowly and looked about. He had also thought he heard a noise. Joe had not heard anything. He looked about straining to hear.

"Shhhh." Frank whispered. The wrestling noise came again. It seemed to be coming from a group of shrubs nearby. The rustling occurred again. Chet gained some bravery and cleared his throat.

"Whoever is in those bushes, come out now or you will regret it!" he said. Nothing. A few more sounds but no one emerged. Chet leveled his gun in the direction of the bushes.

"You have to the count of three! One! Two! Three!" Chet pulled back the hammer on his revolver. "Last chance!" he said firmly. Hearing nothing he looked to the others. Frank shrugged, still not sure what was making the noise. A moment later the group was relieved to see a rabbit emerge from the bushes. Chet smiled, then raised an eyebrow.

"Hey guys, I don't know about you but roast rabbit sounds pretty good." he said taking aim. Before Joe could raise a hand to object Chet fired. The rabbit virtually exploded. Chet made a face as Joe looked at him.

"As I was about to say, Chet. It isn't wise to shoot a rabbit with a .44 magnum loaded with three hundred grain cartridges. Look at that thing. There isn't enough meat left for a snack for you!" Chet grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry Joe. Wasn't thinking." he said. Frank looked about the woods.

"Well, if anyone didn't know we were here, they know now with that canon of yours going off." He said. Chet looked back at him with mock disgust.

"Oh yeah, like that Ruger Super Blackhawk .454 conversion isn't a bigger canon than mine, not to mention costs about fifteen dollars every time you fire it!" Frank smiled.

"Ok, ok. But at least I didn't fire it." Joe laughed at the two. He pulled out his considerably smaller thirty eight snub revolver.

"This is all you need boys. Unless we go elephant hunting." he smiled. He reached down by the fire and retrieved the coffee and poured some. He sat.

"Nothing to do now but wait." Frank nodded with a look of consternation.

"I'd like to go hunt for some clues but if we got on into the woods too deep we might not make it back to this area where we told Bill we would be." Chet shrugged.

"We will be able to cover this hollow a lot easier by boat. Judging by the map this river snakes all through this hollow." Joe nodded. He took out a deck of card.

"Might as well amuse ourselves. Poker anyone?" he asked. Chet and Frank opened their wallets and sat down. Chet looked to Joe who was shuffling cards with speed and grace. He smiled to Chet. Chet looked dubious but put his money down.

"Ok, I will play, but if I catch a hanger I will not be happy." Joe looked innocently at him.

"Would I deal off the bottom of the deck??" he asked incredulously. Chet gave a slight smile.

"I guess since it's not strip poker with my sister we will be safe." he said with a grin. Joe had once used some creative dealing when playing the game with his girlfriend, Iola. She later beat him senseless for the prank.

The three friends spent much of the morning trading their money back and forth. By three in the afternoon Chet was up about three hundred dollars. His cell phone rang. Chet flipped it open.

"Yo?" he said. "Hey Tony. What's up, dude? Really? That was pretty good time. I'm not sure how deep we are, but a guess would be at least ten miles. But since I don't know where it is defined I can't be for sure. Ok. Yep, we will keep an ear and an eye out for you. See you guys soon!" He hung up.

"They are near the hollow. They said they just refueled in a place called Treeport." Frank nodded.

"Good to hear. We are burning valuable time." he said looking at his watch. Chet looked at his watch also, then up.

"What's the plan when they get here?" he asked. Frank stood up.

"We will head back to the original camp and pack more supplies and figure out which areas will be best to search first." Chet nodded.

They sat there watching the river flow and watching for their friends to arrive. Twenty minutes later they rewarded. The sound of a motor could be heard down the river. Sure enough the familiar sight of the Sleuth came into view. Their friends, Bill Hooper and Tony Prito were in front scanning the river's edge. A few moments later they spied the group near the beach on the right side. Tony guided the Hardy's boat over to them. Joe grabbed a rope that Bill threw out and pulled the boat in enough so they could get off without having to get too wet.

"Hey there!" Frank called. "Good to see you guys." Tony cut the motor and stepped out and waded in.

"Hi guys." he greeted cheerfully. He looked down at the raft and to them.

"You guys drifted on the fast current twenty miles in that thing?" he asked with disbelief. "You could have gotten hurt on these rocks. I am shocked you didn't tear that thing to shreds within half a mile. It looks sturdy but not exactly something you make a long float trip in."

"Let us help you roll that thing up." Bill said and they assisted in getting the raft rolled up and stowed on the boat. They also packed up the rest of the supplies and were ready to go. They all got aboard and Joe started the Sleuth back up. The motor turned over with a steady hum. They headed back up river from where they came.

The trip back upriver was done quickly and with ease thanks to the powerful Sleuth. Within ten minutes they had arrived at the spot where they launched the raft. Frank grabbed the rope and jumped out and pulled the Sleuth as close to the edge as he deemed. He secured the boat and the others followed him down through the woods as he led the way back towards their camp. Within ten minutes they approached the camp site. Tony and Bill looked at the huge tent wide eyed.

"Quite the little hotel camp you guys have here. Not very discreet though." Tony commented. Joe gave a thin smile.

"Well, Chet didn't want any little tent." he said. Chet grinned.

"See, now we have guest so these tents are in order. Had we gotten that little four midget tent then Tony and Bill would have had to rough it." Bill raised his eyebrows looking the tents over.

"Hmm, Chet. Looks like you could fit another thirty guest here at least. But I guess we wont have any space issues. Plenty of room for all." Joe laughed and opened the tent.

"Just stow your gear in there guys." he offered. Chet helped Tony store excess supplies in the tent. Bill looked about the tents. He smiled to Frank.

"Gee, did you guys go in on this Grand Hotel or was this out of Chet's gratitude?" he asked. "Those tents had to cost four figures. That are pretty high grade and obviously sizable." Frank smiled and shook his head.

"Those are Chet's. He and Joe went to Sports World. From what Joe told me he dropped about ten large on the stuff. A lot of which is still in his Yukon." Bill whistled.

"That Yukon is sweet. I am guessing he must have blown most of that reward he got." Frank smiled.

"Looks like he spent some." he said. About a month earlier when Frank and Joe had taken vacation Chet had stayed behind and a missing child case came in. Chet managed to locate a missing daughter of a prominent investment broker and for his efforts received fifty thousand dollars as a reward. Chet knew that the Hardys didn't have a surplus of spare cash so he didn't ask Joe for anything when they bought the camping supplies. A few minutes later Chet came out of the tent and began preparing a fire. He looked over his shoulder to the others.

"Your hungry, right?" he said with a half smile. Frank nodded.

"By all means." he said. Tony took out a large cooler he had brought and set it down by the table.

"Brought some refreshments." he said popping the cooler open. He passed out Coronas. Joe smiled thankfully taking a bottle of the Mexican imported beer from Tony.

"Good thinking Tony. Nothing like a brew after a little float trip." he said. Chet had set up a grille over the fire and placed several steaks on it. He turned to the others.

"So what's the plan?" he asked. Frank took the map out an studied it.

"We can take the boat to the northern most part of the hollow and start a foot search and sweep back and forth. The captain had to possibly leave a clue somewhere." he said. Chet turned the steaks. He looked up.

"We didn't find anything so far. Not even a broken branch. He must have entered the hollow from another point so it will be hard to determine where he may have been." Tony stood up and lit a cigarette.

"What clues do you have to go on?" he asked. Frank recounted the investigation of the cabin and finding the place in a bit of disarray. The calendar notations and the potentially missing rifle. Then he told about the scream that they had heard just last night.

"Your sure it was a woman?" tony questioned? "A lot of animals in a place like this. Some animals can sound just like a screaming woman." Joe half smiled.

"Well, sounded like a woman to me, Tony. But of course I can't be sure since I did not actually see her." Chet smiled and took the steaks off the fire. He brought them to the table and served them. Frank looked up.

"No wine?" he asked with a bit of humor. Chet smiled back and went and pulled another bottle of wine out of his rucksack. He walked back towards them and Joe grinned.

"That better not be domestic, Chet!" he said having trouble keeping a straight face. Chet looked back with a hurt expression.

"It's Italian. 1974. A good Chablis." he said. Tony raised an eyebrow carrying along the gibe.

"Chablis with red meat?? Chet, are you nuts!?!?" he asked with a hurt expression. Chet smiled back and returned.

"I'm sorry, Tony. But my wine cellar is poorly stocked with Clarets. You shall just have to make do." Bill gave a chuckle at the banter and looked up.

"I'm fine Chet. Filet Mignons and well aged Italian Chablis is considerably more than I would have hoped for in a camp in the middle of the woods. I had thought my mean of the day would have been hot dogs." Chet smiled.

"Well, when we run out of steak and wine then we will have hot dogs and beer. Good enough? I'd hate to delusion you." Bill took a sip of wine.

"Not at all Chet. You are sometimes impractical about things, but there are usually rewards that go along just the same." Chet sat in thought for a moment. Then looked up with a half smile.

"Well, you know me. Make up for other areas in which I lack. Tony smiled at this crypticness.

"Areas you lack? Hell Chet, you recently got paid a fifty large fee. You have a nice apartment. A business as a partner in one of the finest agencies in Bayport. You date an absolute babe.." At this Chet stood up.

"You say so..." he said without much emotion and walked out of the tent. Tony looked confused.

"What's that all about?" he asked dumbfounded. Frank shifted a bit and looked down but said nothing. Bill shrugged.

"You got me, but perhaps it shows how little we really know." Joe looked off into the distance in thought. Then he downed the rest of his wine and stood up. He walked outside.

Frank looked at the overcast sky and despite the vast umbrella of trees that covered the hollow he felt rain drops and the sky cast an even more ominous darkness. He sighed.

"Looks like we are here for the night guys. Between the rain and it getting a whole lot darker in the last fifteen minutes I'm afraid we wouldn't have much luck on our search." Joe nodded looking about.

"Yeah," he agreed. "By the time we got the boat up north it would be really dark. Not that it isn't really dark now." he said as he went about turning some kerosene lamps on. Chet was cleaning the chamber of his gun out. Having fired it earlier it has residue built up. He ran a brush through it. After removing all dust and powder he reloaded it and looked up. Bill walked over with a smile.

"Does that thing build up a lot when you..." his words were cut short by a rustling noise in the brush along the hillside that bordered the clearing where their camp was. Bill held up a hand and looked out into the darkness. The others listened intently. Tony smiled.

"Relax guys, there is a thousand different animals that could have made that sound." Frank nodded.

"That did happen earlier and Chet toasted a rabbit... But we can bet that if the animal that made that sound was of the two legged variety we are definitely opening ourselves up with this lighted up Grand Hotel of the forest." Chet rolled his eyes and looked over to him.

"Well the minute we get shot at, we can break camp." As if an ironic answer to his statement a number of rifle shots rang over their heads.


	4. Chapter 4

. Frank went into immediate action.

"Joe, you and Tony douse all those lights pronto. Chet, you and Bill get into those tall weeds and keep me covered." With that Chet drew his magnum and Bill pulled his gun out of his leg holster and jumped to the side into the weeds. Frank took a dive into the tent and grabbed a couple backpacks and a pair of rifles that Bill and Tony brought along. Chet fired at various areas of the hill, as did Bill. Frank sprinted back and jumped into the weeds. Joe and Tony were also planted in the back of the weeds well hidden. Tony looked up cautiously.

"Frank, toss me that rifle. I don't have a sidearm." Frank threw a rifle back. Tony grabbed it fast and checked the chamber. Frank tossed a bag over to Bill and Chet.

"Here's some extra ammo guys." he said tersely. A moment later a shot flew just inches over his head.

"Bastard has us pinpointed." he muttered. Chet took his reloaded pistol out and leveled it in the area he thought he saw the shots come from. He fired a couple shots. The canon boomed. Frank scanned the hillside. They heard some noise.

"I'm getting nervous." Bill said. "Did you notice the firing pattern on that rifle of his? Seemed to me an AK-47 or similar high power semi auto."

"And we are sitting ducks." Tony said flatly. "Plans anyone?" Joe gave a smile in spite of the situation.

"Well, we do have sufficient ammo to keep him at bay." Chet returned a comic expression.

"A lot of good it will do us if he is still up there come morning. Admittedly this is a pretty dark hollow even in the morning, but there will be without a doubt significantly better lighting than there is now. And with his advantage of having the superior position he will be able to pick us off like scared rab..." his words trailed off as a thought occurred to him. He looked about the ground and cursed.

"Frank, you didn't bring my big bag, man!" Joe shot him a look.

"Gee Chet, he was a little busy trying to grab a couple rifles and bags of ammo. Sorry if he forgot to bring you your wine." Chet rolled his eyes.

"I have a bit more in that bag than wine. In fact I am going for it. Cover me!" he said. Frank looked tersely at him.

"You'd better haul ass Chet. This guy has a sniper rifle with possibly an inferred scope." Chet smiled.

"I noticed, but I will try to not let that bother me." he said replacing his pistol in his belt. A moment later he made a sprint for the tent. Frank and Tony fired at will in the area of the sniper. Despite their efforts the unknown gunman managed to fire off quite a few shots at Chet, barely missing him. Chet dove into the tent and grabbed his large bag and scurried back at breakneck speed. He dove into the weeds just as a shot ripped into a tree where he had been just a second before. Joe looked over at him with concern.

"You ok?" Chet nodded gasping for air. Physical activity of this sort was not in Chet's job description or social life so he was bent over on the ground breathing heavily. He looked up.

"Yeah, I'm cool." he said.

"That's debatable at best." Joe shot back. "You could have gotten yourself shot." Chet again, gave a smile.

"Really Joe? I thought those were bumble bees whizzing by me!" Frank looked over.

"Ok Chet, what was so damn important you risked getting clipped for?" Chet smiled as he dug through his bag. A moment later he retrieved four hand grenades. Bill looked stunned.

"Hand grenades?? Why on earth are you carrying hand grenades?" he asked. Chet shrugged.

"Just in case." he said simply. Bill looked somewhat annoyed.

"Just in case, what? That you have a case that takes you to Iraq?" Chet gave him a hurt expression.

"Actually for situations just like this." he said. Frank looked down dubiously.

"I don't know Chet, someone could get hurt." Chet, and even Joe and the others looked somewhat quizzically back at him. Chet cleared his throat.

"Er, Frank. That guy up on the hillside is trying to kill us. Or at least part our hair the hard way. True we have ammo to keep him reasonably at bay, but we have no cover. He could start taking pot shots into this general vicinity again and stand a good chance to hit one of us. And when morning comes he will have the advantage of illumination. I don't want to be here for either of those events. I am not necessarily trying to kill this guy myself. I just suggest that we toss these pineapples up in that area. It will likely scare the crap out of him. Yeah, maybe kill him too, but he started it. But we take the diversion and confusion, grab as many supplies as we can and run like Hell to the boat." Frank nodded and looked out into the darkness.

"Ok, but let's try not to kill him. I want to catch him later and ask him some questions." Chet smiled.

"Fair enough. Ok, Tony and I will lob these suckers over to the hill. After we throw the rest of you get into that tent and grab everything you can carry and make a dash for the boat. Tony and I will run for the boat immediately after letting these things go. With any luck we can make it out of here with just being winded by the sprint." Joe cleared his throat and gave a half smile.

"Supposing this guy has already been to the river and has paid a visit to our boat?" he asked Chet smiled and looked up.

"Then I guess we are definitely up shit creek, and definitely without a paddle." Tony took a couple of the grenades and handed Joe his rifle. Chet took the other two and hunched down. The others waited for a signal. Chet looked about into the darkness. He looked to Tony, who nodded. Chet nodded back and the two stood up. They immediately pulled the pins on their grenades. The others went into immediate action as Chet and Tony Let the grenades fly. A moment later the earth rocked with a pair of explosions. Chet and Tony fired their second pair of grenades. Then ran like the wind for the boat. Another tremendous pair of explosions rocked the ground. Noises were heard in the bushes along the hillside. Bill, Frank and Joe had managed to collect about half of the supplies and exited the tent within seconds on the run. They were just about thirty seconds behind Chet and Tony who were sprinting without as much as a glance over their shoulders. Within four minutes the river came into view. Chet had his fingers mentally crossed that there was no sabotage to the boat. Luck was with them as the Sleuth was moored where they left it and appeared unmolested. Tony made a running leap from the rivers edge into the boat. He immediately went about starting it. Chet pulled himself over the edge and collapsed in the bottom of the boat. The roar of the engine sounded just as the others were reaching the river's edge. The Hardys and Bill wasted no time in getting in. Tony gunned the throttle and the boat shot forward.

Frank lay on the floor of the boat next to Chet. He looked over with a faint smile.

"Nice going, man. That plan probably just saved our asses." he let his head rest on the bottom of the boat and slowly closed his eyes. His breath evened out a bit. The near bush with death reminded him of his own mortality and things that should or more importantly, shouldn't be taken for granted.

Tony sent the boat speeding up river. The boys were silent for the most part for nearly half an hour. Thinking about the attack and feeling lucky to get out alive. A few minutes later Tony pulled the Sleuth into a small cove and shut the motor off. He looked to the others.

"We are far away enough now. I don't think they could have followed us." Frank smiled as he sat up.

"I don't think that guy was in the position to follow us. If he didn't end up blown to bits he is probably deaf and running around in circles." The group got out of the boat. Joe looked down at it with concern.

"As this is our only ticket out of here I think we should keep a watch on it." The others nodded. Chet smiled slightly to Frank.

"Well dude, we've been attacked by a maniac with an automatic rifle and we have pretty good circumstantial evidence that the captain is here lost somewhere. Do we go for the law yet or make a search?" Frank thought a moment. Then he shook his head.

"I don't want to go for the law until we have some hard evidence. Otherwise the locals might just chalk us off as paranoid campers. No, I think three of us should hit the woods tomorrow and make a search. The other two should stay close to the boat and keep a headquarters established." Chet nodded.

"Sounds like a plan. Now, how about some coffee?" he said going about gathering wood for a fire. The others set out some sleeping bags. Chet built a fire and put the coffee on. Frank looked to the group.

"Ok, who wants to take watch in the boat tonight?" Joe and Tony volunteered. Frank nodded with a smile.

"Sounds good guys. Not meaning to wind down but I am bushed. I am going to have a cup of coffee and hit the sack." Bill and Tony nodded their agreement to this thought. So after a quick cup of coffee the three settled down in their sleeping bags. Tony and Joe took their second cups down to the river's edge and sat on a fallen tree. Tony smiled the taste of the coffee.

"Chet makes a strange cup of coffee. Pretty tasty though." he smiled. Joe was smiling to himself at this statement, but was concentrating on cleaning his revolver. Tony smiled at this process of Joe running a wire brush through the chamber.

"You guys have a lot of guns. We found those rifles and shotguns in the Sleuth." Joe gave a laugh and looked up.

"Chet's is building a collection I think. But I think it's more just weapons we have taken off of this scumbag or that one. They build up." Joe finished his cleaning job and holstered the weapon.

"How goes the construction business Tony?" Joe asked hoping he hadn't dragged his friend off an important job. Tony shrugged.

"We are scheduled to start a couple homes next month but are waiting on some materials as it's a pretty high end custom job." Joe smiled.

"Sounds good. Was just hoping we didn't pull you away from your duties." Tony laughed.

"Nah. Just some tedious paperwork. But the office manager can do it and if he has problems can ask dad. I am actually happy to get out now and again and hit the field with you guys. I noticed Chet is doing well after he recovered that lost child last month." Joe smiled and turned his head.

"Yeah, hell of a time for Frank and I to take vacation." he said. The previous month while Frank and Joe took a two week vacation Chet had been contracted to help find a prominent brokers daughter who had been kidnaped. He managed to find the child and rescue her. Her parents were so grateful they gave Chet a reward of fifty thousand dollars.

"Well, he spent some on that new Yukon didn't he?" Tony asked. Joe nodded.

"Yep. Pretty nice ride for sure. He managed to get it at auction wholesale. He had a friend who is a GMC dealer." Tony took another drink and sat back.

"Oh man. I'm getting a little sleepy." He yawned. Joe nodded groggily. By two in the morning they were nestled against the fallen tree dozing fitfully. This was to be short lived however. At just after three in the morning the darkness shook with a horrible scream. Joe and Tony sat bolt upright in a sweat.

It came again. They heard the others jumping up from their sleeping bags.

"Joe, Tony, it came from the east!! Hurry!" Frank yelled. The two jumped up and ran towards the others who were already moving at a sprint. A few minutes passed and the horrible sounding scream of a woman who had to be in trouble sounded again. The group redoubled their efforts. They sprinted over fallen trees and bushes at breakneck speed for another ten minutes. They soon had to stop to gain their breath. The sound had not repeated itself in several minutes. Frank looked about the darkness. The wind was picking up.

"Any idea where it was coming from, Frank?" Joe asked. Frank slowly shook his head.

"No idea now." he said straining for a deep breath. "That was a different scream than we heard last night." Joe looked up and nodded.

"Yeah, I think your right. Man, we must have sprinted a mile. Must of set a record." At this statement Chet suddenly looked up.

"Not to be the negative one here..." he began, "but what if that scream was a ruse to get us away from camp??" he asked nervously. The others looked at him with serious expressions. Frank looked to them.

"Quick! Back to camp. Chet could be right!" he said and the group started a run back in the direction of the camp. Though the group was running fast, they were drained from the run they had just made, not to mention the lack of sleep. It took a good twelve minutes to reach the area they had set up camp. Frank looked down at their sleeping bags and supplies. They appeared unmolested. Chet ran past him toward the river. He stopped short and gasped!

"Oh no!!" he wailed. The others followed him down to see that his eyes were glued to a hole in the front of the Sleuth. It was about four inches across.

"Looks like a sledgehammer." Tony said. "Come on, help me get the bow up and out of the water." With the others help they managed to pull the front of the boat up onto the shoreline.

"Can't really tell much in the darkness." Chet said. "Let's wait till morning and see what can be done." he said. The others agreed and desired sleep besides. Figuring that the sneak attack was a mission accomplished and the rest of the night would likely be without incident, they abandoned the idea of watching the boat further and all went to sleep for the little time that remained until daybreak. Within a few hours day struck and found Chet and Tony investigating the damage to the bow. It was definitely inflicted by a heavy blunt object like a sledgehammer. Frank groggily walked down to the beach after he woke.

"Morning guys, any hope on a repair?" he asked. Chet looked up.

"Well, it is possible. We do have some heavy rubber footing left over from when we relined the floor with it. As well as some of that adhesive in the tool box. We could conceivably make a patch to hold us until we went down river. Tony said that town they stopped in for fuel had a public dock with a lift. There's a good chance to find a marine repair center there." Frank nodded.

"Sounds like a good idea. How about you and Tony do that while the rest of us go on with business as usual?" Chet nodded.

"That will have to do the trick. The boat wont last even if we patch it." he said. By this time Joe and Bill had joined them. Frank repeated the idea to them and they nodded.

"Lucky they didn't have any more time." Bill said. "They could have done some real damage. Not that this isn't bad enough." Joe nodded and went about gathering up their belongings. Frank looked at his watch.

"We will take off to the east. You should be able to track us by the GPS tracker from the boat. I will have our signal on at all times." The GPS devise was built into the Hardy's special radio which allowed them to switch on a signal that could be bounced off a satellite and tracked by any GPS monitor as long as they entered the correct frequency. Chet nodded.

"Sounds like a plan." he said. Joe returned with a pair of backpacks.

"Bill and I have the camp packed and ready." Frank nodded.

"Thanks. Guess that's it. Be careful guys." he advised. Tony and Chet smiled and Chet gave a casual wave as they walked off into the woods. He turned to Tony.

"Ok dude, let's get this hole patched up." he said. He and Tony spent the next half an hour devising a patch for the bow. They soon had the hole packed and patched. They lowered the boat back into the water. The patch appeared to hold. They got in. Chet tried the ignition. The motor gave a brief grind. Chet looked over his shoulder.

"Hey Tony, check the motor out. They thing won't turn over for some reason." Tony nodded and turned and pulled the fiberglass cover off the compartment. He gave a start. Chet looked up.

"Something wrong?" he asked. Tony nodded.

"Those morons got to the motor it would seem. Take a look!" Chet got up and looked into the engine bay. The motor housing had what appeared to be another sledge hammer mark right into the motor housing at the flywheel. Chet sighed deeply.

"That doesn't look good. Well, let's see if we can get that motor cover off and get that dent out of the housing. It is apparently smashed into the flywheel preventing it from turning." Tony nodded opening the tool box. He soon had the housing bolts undone and with a little twisting pulled the housing off the flywheel. The wheel appeared to have a crack in it. Tony frowned.

"That doesn't look good. Think it will run?" Chet shrugged.

"Hard to say, man. Lets take the dent out of the housing and put it back and see what she does." Tony nodded. He took a hammer out and went to work on the housing. Within ten minutes he had the dents flattened considerably. He placed the cover back on and secured the bolts back in place. He nodded to Chet.

"Ok, see if she will fire up." Chet nodded and turned the ignition key. The motor sputtered to life. Though a very loud noise came from the motor bay. Chet looked back over his shoulder and listened for a moment.

"I think the flywheel got knocked out of whack and isn't turning correctly. But we do have power and not much choice." He engaged the throttle. The boat a bit sluggishly jumped forward. They headed down river with their fingers crossed and a prayer. After thirty minutes Tony came up and sat next to Chet.

"How's it going?" he asked. "I noticed you reduced speed again." Chet nodded and pointed to the gauges.

"Temp is hitting a level for concern and the oil pressure isn't encouraging either. How far is this town ahead?" Tony thought for a moment.

"At least another forty minutes at this rate. More if you cut speed again." Chet shrugged and pushed the throttle up a little. Tony raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure that's wise?" he asked.

"If we don't get there soon we won't have to worry about the motor." he said indicating the patch in the bow. It was taking in a steady light stream of water.

"Should I apply pressure to it?" Tony asked. Chet shook his head.

"That might just help in along. No, but you can flip the pump on." he said. Tony switched the pump on, which provided minimal relief as the pump motor was old. After thirty more minutes the leak was getting progressively worse. Tony said that they should be coming upon the town soon.

"I'm pretty sure they have a boat repair dock there too if memory serves." he said. Chet looked worried. The leak was flowing nicely and the gauges were well in the red zone.

"We can't go much further." he said tersely. A few minutes later Tony pointed down the river.

"There! It's down there. Get in there!" he said. Without looking back Chet threw the throttle full out and the engine whined and the boat shot forward. They had gone about two thousand yards when Chet threw the throttle back down for fear of blowing the motor completely. The bow lowered slightly. Suddenly the patch gave out completely and water poured in!


	5. Chapter 5

"We'll drown!" Tony shrieked fearfully. Chet was more calm for some reason. Perhaps it had been tedious being the fearful one all these years. He threw the throttle back to full and the bow raised considerably which decreased the flow of water into the craft. Chet took straight aim for the docks. He cut speed within one hundred foot and drifted in. He turned the craft and slid up against one of the docks. He and Tony removed the supplies and hopped out.

"Nice work, Chet." Tony said thankful to be out of the leaking craft.

"We are in luck!" Chet said pointing to a sign: Dowd marine sales and service. The pair left their goods by the Sleuth and walked up the dock and over to the small office that sat next to a set of docks that were loaded with new and used craft. They entered. A middle aged man was on the phone. They judged him to be about fifty. Another man, taller and younger with a friendly looking face was standing next to the desk. The older man finished his call. He looked to the taller man.

"They will be out tomorrow morning with those parts." the other nodded. The balding man turned to the newcomers.

"Hello there! What can we do for you boys??" he asked. Chet stepped up.

"Uhm, yes. We have a boat out here. Has a small leak and some motor problems. Was wondering if you could give me an estimate on repairs." the man smiled.

"Why sure. Ray here," he said gesturing to the tall man, "he will help you right out." The tall man smiled and took a clip board off the desk and looked to them.

"Hey there, boys. Let's go see this boat." Chet and Tony led him outside and walked down the dock to where the Sleuth was moored. The boat had taken in considerable water and was now over half submerged. Ray looked at the boat and then to the boys.

"Looks like you had a little trouble." Chet smiled.

"Yep. Someone came visiting our camp last night."

"Ya don't say." Ray mused "was a wonder you boys didn't sink out there." he said. He looked the Sleuth over and started writing on the clipboard. A few minutes later he looked to the boys.

"Why don't you come step into the office. Your gonna need to be sittin' down when I give you these figures." Chet smiled.

"Oh that's ok, we can take it."

"Well, my calculator is in the office and I can't add up all these figures in my head."

"Makes me feel good Ray." he said and they followed him back to the office. He offered them a seat in front of his desk. He then went to work on looking up some parts in a catalog. He then started punching on the calculator then writing. A few moments later he took a deep breath and looked to them.

"Well, to repair her, it will set you back about $7,500." Ray said. Chet looked stunned.

"That bad?" he asked. Ray gave a slight chuckle.

"Well guys, you saw it yourself, that thing is almost sunk out there. You are going to need a new motor, the hull completely overhauled. Possible rudder work. Then the more superficial work of the interior. And maybe some new electrics. They soak in that water long enough they will be shot." Chet nodded knowing all this to be true.

"I'm not trying to tell you how to spend your money boys, but we have a great line of new speedboats out there. And you do have to wonder about how worth while it may be to fix yours. I mean that boat of yours looks like it has some years on it." Chet nodded.

"Could you by chance get our boat to Bayport about five hours out just outside down the Atlantic?" Ray nodded.

"Cost ya about five hundred dollars." he said.

"Fine, we'll do that. Now please show us your new boats." he said. Ray got up and led the way outside. Tony shot Chet a look.

"Why a new boat?? I know the Sleuth is old but the cost to fix her is still a lot less than a new boat." Chet shook his head.

"It's not really the cost. The estimate stated the repairs would take two weeks." Tony nodded his understanding.

"Guess that's different." he said as Ray turned to them.

"Now then. Were you looking for something around the same size that you had or maybe something with a little more kick?" Chet smiled.

"Let's see what you have with more kick." Ray smiled and led them down to a boat. It was quite large. And very sleek. He smiled.

"This is our best. An eight seater. Plenty of storage. Has computer, GPS, radar, depth, basically every toy known to man. She boasts duel two hundred horsepower inboard motors. Basically this is the boat all sportsmen want. It is the ultimate water behemoth." Chet smiled. Almost drooling.

"How much is it??" he asked eagerly. Ray smiled.

"Well you just went and sputtered that out, didn't you?" he laughed. "Come on in to the sales office." he offered them seats. He took one himself in back of the desk and took out a price folder. He looked down at it for a moment and looked up.

"Now then, the Ultimate Behemoth and all of it's glory can be yours for the unheard of price of fifty three thousand and change." Chet smiled back.

"I just happen to have the desire to spend forty five even." Ray curled his lips and sat back deep in thought. He knew that the boat could sit there several more months before another out of towner came by and offered money on it. He had been critical of his boss for ordering in a high end boat in the first place. Treeport was not known for it's affluent or overly prosperous population. He also knew that Chet's offer would make them profit, though, of course, not as much as they optimally desired. He sat back up.

"Ok. You got yourself a deal." he smiled. Chet pulled out an Amex card.

"Do you take these?" he asked. Ray smiled. He knew he could lie and probably make Chet take out financing though a company they are commissioned by. This would result in the boat salesman making money on the back end of the deal. He also reasoned that if Chet had an American Express card, he probably liked to pay his balances off every month, thus avoiding interest payments. He knew that the finance company they had would ream even the best credit risk with high interest. He smiled to Chet.

"We sure do." he said taking the card. He picked up the phone and went about gaining approval for the purchase. He had it quickly and then took out the necessary forms to complete the transaction.

"Good to go Chester. Just fill out these forms and we will get you goin as soon as possible." Chet smiled taking the forms and a pen offered. Tony was still somewhat in shock seeing his friend basically put down fifty large on a new speedboat. Another fifteen minutes brought an end to the paperwork and Ray got up and escorted them outside. He gestured toward the dictionary like owner's manual for the boat.

"That will tell you everything and anything you need to know that I haven't explained. I appreciate your business gentlemen. And I will get that boat sent up to Bayport as soon as possible." Chet and Tony nodded. They all shook hands.

"Thanks a bunch, Ray!" Chet said. The pair hopped into the new boat. Chet keyed it up and the duel motors roared into life. Smiling in satisfaction Chet and Tony pulled out of the slip and waved as they departed. Chet went to the other end of the docks and pulled into a public slip. They retrieved their supplies from the nearby dock where the nearly sunk Sleuth was moored. Chet motioned up towards the small town.

"Let's get some supplies." he said. Tony nodded and the pair started walking up the street towards the business area. Within an hour they had visited a sporting goods store and a grocery store. They walked back down toward the dock with loaded arms. After stowing their goods Chet turned the motors over and guided the craft out into the channel. He pushed up the throttle ever so slightly and the craft shot forward. Tony raised en eyebrow, visibly impressed with the power of the boat.

"Well, I would hate to see what this thing does at full power." Chet nodded.

"I don't think I will find out until I am back out on the ocean. Too many things can happen in a narrow river channel." Tony smiled.

"Just a few." He said. They traveled upriver with ease. Within a mere forty five minutes they had returned to the area where Chet found it necessary to slow down and keep a lookout for their designated camp area. Chet thought it wise to return there since the others had chosen to go search an area that might not be any more accessible by boat than on foot. Five minutes later Tony pointed over the bow to the cove where they had been camping the night before. Chet nodded and cut the throttle and drifted in. A moment later they had the boat secured and were removing supplies from the boat. They had made a point to buy a couple small tents at the sporting good store. In light of the way the larger tents brought unwanted attention, Chet reluctantly opted for smaller tents despite their lack of space. Within thirty minutes they had a camp established. Chet and Tony looked at the neatly organized, yet well hidden within the brush campsite. Chet went about making a small fire. Tony went about rigging up some fishing poles that they had just purchased. Tony thought it wise to supplement their supplies with a little fishing to make them last longer. Within minutes Chet had brought down a couple cups of coffee. He handed Tony a cup. He then sat down in a folding chair next to Tony who handed him a rod. Chet checked it over and smiled.

"Stink bait?" Guessing there are some catfish in here, huh?" he asked. Tony nodded.

"Dad and I used to pull some out of the rivers near Bixby. And that is about a hundred miles west of here. We have relatives there and used to go out there pretty often when I was younger." Chet smiled.

"I remember those carefree days of being a kid. Nothin to do but go down to the fihin' hole and go swimin."

"Did Iola and Callie do that too?" Tony asked. Chet smiled.

"Yeah, those two were inseparable even then. Callie and Iola chasing me around... giving me a hard time. I know why Iola did it. That's what sisters are for. But Callie seemed to like to give me a hard time too. Course it was all in fun. Seems like so long ago." He had a faraway look in his eyes.

"And now you're a responsible adult." Tony inserted. Chet smiled.

"So it would seem. Soon to be respectable businessman. Maybe buy a house someday." he said quietly. Tony smiled.

"Sounds pretty good. And you have a beautiful woman to boot." he said referencing to a young lady by the name of Tiffany Blake. A girl who had pursued Chet for some time, though Chet never seemed to really want to date her all that much. Something Tony couldn't figure out. Chet shrugged.

"I wouldn't count on that, man. We do see other people. Or I have at least told her to do so. Anyway..." he said abruptly, obviously trying to change the subject. Tony shrugged.

"Well, sorry man. Your kind of secretive about your love life. I just figure since I saw you out with her that you guys were an item." Chet gave a half smile.

"That creates rumors Tony. In actuality we aren't an item that I know of. I have even gotten the impression that she may have taken my advise in recent time. Her personality seems a bit different. But if she is seeing someone else I am not aware of it." Tony shrugged.

"Women. Can't live with em, can't find one to live without." he said softly. There was obviously an allusion to his recent breakup. Tony had been seeing a woman for some time, but a few months ago was shocked to find that his true love had been somewhat disingenuous with her feelings and was using Tony for monetary gain. Mainly accessing his family's construction company's bank accounts. Since Tony was the active president of the company this was not hard. Tony had been crushed to find himself left a victim in the wake of manipulation and deceit. Chet gave a chuckle.

"Know what you mean to a degree my friend. I obviously haven't been ripped off by Tiffany, but she sure can be a material woman at times." Tony nodded.

"She kind of seems like that type." he said. The two enjoyed a mellow afternoon of talking and fishing. They had both had good luck and by six the stringer was full of more fish than they could eat in a week. As the evening progressed they were wondering why Frank hadn't made radio contact. Frank had always been a stickler for such procedure. Tony sat back in his chair and took out a pack of Chesterfields and lit one. He took a drag and exhaled deeply. Chet looked to him with half a grin.

"Ya know those things can kill ya." he said. Tony gave a half smile.

"The world is full of risks. We almost got shot down yesterday by some madman. We are still here. Though I am going to consider killing you if you don't make some dinner soon." he laughed. Chet nodded with a grin.

"How about some fish?" he asked jokingly. That was obviously going to be their meal. Tony retrieved a fish from the stringer. He cleaned the fish and cut the filets. Chet prepared a fry pan and pulled out a small pack of seasoning.

"Ok man. Im ready." he called over. Tony brought over a plate of fish ready for the pan. Soon, Chet had an appetizing aroma of frying fish filling the air. A few moments later the radio crackled. They had left the boat's short wave set on to hopefully receive word from Frank or the others. Chet jumped up. Tony who was closer to the radio scooped it up.

"This in Tony, over." Soon a voice came back.

"Hey Tony, Frank here. Did you guys get the boat business taken care of?" Tony smiled at this question.

"Oh, yeah Frank. Never better."

"Well, we are somewhere in the northwest corner of the hollow. Not that far off the river. We found a few clues. A broken flashlight. A rifle cartridge casing and what we think is a little blood. Aside from that we just spotted a cabin. It seems to be built into the rock face of the wall of the hollow. We are going to investigate it." Tony looked down worriedly.

"Do you need any help?" he asked.

"Not at the present time. But here is what we are going to do. We will keep the two way radio in the field near the cabin with the signal on so you can track us. You can use the boat signal tracker and the other handheld is in the black bag. You should be able to track us on that too when your out of the water. But give us three hours. If you don't hear from us then come on ahead." Tony gave a reluctant shrug.

"Ok then Frank. We will wait to hear from you. Over and out." he said replacing the microphone. Chet shrugged.

"At least we heard from them." he said. Tony nodded slowly.

"I hope they aren't walking into a trap. Cabin hidden on the edge of the hollow didn't sound too secure." Chet nodded but forced a smile.

"Well, they are armed. Anyway, I have some fish here that's ready. Let's dig in." he said dishing it up. He handed Tony a plate and then reached into a cooler.

"Corona, Tony?" Chet asked. Tony looked skeptically at him.

"Did you remember the limes?" he asked. Chet took on a hurt expression.

"Well of course. What do you take me for. Corona without limes. That's absolutely absurd." he said giving Tony a bottle and then pulling a lime out of the cooler and slicing it up with his pocket knife. He took a slice and shoved it into his own bottle and offered Tony one also. Tony took a long drink and sighed. He tore into the fish. He looked up approvingly.

"Great fish, Chet. Wonderful flavor. How do you achieve it?" Chet smiled.

"Oh, a little bread crumbs, seasoning. I put the fish in some beer and egg first. Then bread it them fry it in a mixture of olive oil and a little lime juice." Tony grinned.

"What is that called? Corona'd catfish??" he asked. Chet gave a chuckle.

"I'm not sure what my mom called it. But that was her recipe for as long as I remember. Though she used Miller beer as I remember." Tony gave a chuckle.

"Nice way to remember the recipes mom handed down, huh? A bottle of beer followed by..." he laughed. Chet smiled and looked down.

"I doubt she used that much. Plus what little alcohol gets burned into non existence anyway. All you get is the flavor." Tony finished his plate.

"Well, however you did it, that was very good. Thanks." he said wiping his hands and taking another drink of Corona. He stood up and lit another cigarette.

"Well, guess it's a waiting game now, huh?" he observed. He looked down at his watch. The time was just after seven. Chet nodded.

"Yep. Hopefully everything will turn out alright and they will catch a lead on the captain." he said.

The two sat back and watched the last traces of daylight that managed to break through the dense umbrella of trees fade into darkness. Two and a half hours later they still had heard nothing. Tony began to get nervous.

"I hope they didn't run into trouble." he said. Chet sighed.

"Me neither, but they could be on a hot lead and unable to radio." Tony stood up.

"Either way, if we don't hear from them in the next fifteen minutes we have to go find them." He said. Chet nodded. The minutes past by with the two becoming more tense. Fifteen minutes passed. Chet got up. He flipped on the GPS on the boat. After feeding in the correct information the location of the Hardys and Bill, or at least the radio, was up river quite a way. Chet turned the motors over. Tony hopped in next to him. Chet pulled out of the cove and proceeded up river. Chet looked down at the GPS screen and the area terrain map.

"Best I can make, the signal comes about half a mile or so off the river. So once we do get up there, we should be able to track them fairly easy." Tony nodded and Chet sped up river.

"How long until we get to the spot where we get out?" he asked. Chet looked down at the GPS again. He looked up.

"Thirty minutes, present speed." he relied. Tony nodded. He was nervous. After the attack the night before he was not taking anything for granted. After about twenty five minutes Chet announced that it would be best to find a cove or cover for the boat in the immediate area. A few minutes later they came upon a cover that set back well out of the river channel. Chet shut the motors down and they got out. They covered the craft as much as they could with nearby brush and fallen tree limbs. The darkness helped them for once as it made the boat harder to see. Chet pulled the hand held unit from the bag and turned it on. The indicator had them fairly close.

"Ok, let's head south for a bit." Chet said finally. He checked his handgun and made sure it was loaded. The pair walked quickly to the south. After several minutes the GPS indicator told them that they should be soon approaching their target.

"Look about for them... or the radio." Chet said softly. A few minutes later the indicator reported that they should be right on top of their friend's location. Tony looked about the ground. Using his flashlight sparingly. A moment later the light shone on Frank's handheld radio! Tony bent down and picked it up.

"Well, this is it. But where are they?" he asked with a sinking feeling. Chet took the inferred field glasses out of the bag. He held them up and scanned the area in front of him. There was a clearing nearby. Sure enough on the other side was a huge expanse of stone and rock.

"That must be the hollow wall." chet observed. He scanned slowly to the right.

"I think I see the cabin!! Yeah. That has to be it. Damn, that's hard to see even with these." he said putting the glasses down. "Come on, let's go." he said. The pair walked slowly across the clearing. As they did the huge stone wall of the hollow became more visible. Chet kept his gun on the ready as they slowly walked across the clearing. The eerie shape of the cabin came into view. In the darkness it appeared to be built many years ago. Maybe over a hundred. The old squared hand hewn logs gave away significant age. There were no windows in the small cabin. Just a door with what appeared to be a lock on the front that didn't match the age. It was newer and looked to secure the door quite well at first glace. Chet drew his gun up and nodded to Tony.

"Open it up." he said. Tony took a swift kick and the door gave away. Chet with flashlight in one hand and pistol in the other flashed the beam into the darkness. The room appeared to be empty. To the left was a door and the right an open space that apparently led into a tiny kitchen. Chet gestured to the door. Tony turned the knob. It was not locked and pushed the door inward. Chet's flashlight beam caught a horrid sight! Tied in a chair and gagged was Joe Hardy


	6. Chapter 6

Chet and Tony rushed over to him. They quickly untied him and assessed that he was ok.

"Joe, are you ok?" Chet asked anxiously. Joe slowly nodded and rubbed the back of his head ruefully.

"What hit me? Where am I?" he asked with confusion. Tony checked his pupils with the light.

"Chet and I tracked you by the radio. You are in the cabin that you told us about. Someone hit you?" he asked looking at joe's head. There was indeed a nice lump. Chet pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to Joe. He then fished some aspirin out of the bag of supplies.

"Here, try these. Can you walk ok?" Chet asked. Joe stood up. Aside from being a little dizzy he managed to walk.

"Now what happened? Where is Frank and Bill?" Tony asked eagerly. Joe took a breath and thought for m moment.

"I am not really sure. We were about to investigate this cabin. Bill was about to knock the door in and Frank and I were poised. The next thing I know my lights go out and I wake up in front of you." Chet and Tony looked perplexed. What would be the purpose of separating them? Chet cleared his throat.

"Let's take a look around the area. If they don't turn up, then we will head back to camp. Joe doesn't look like he can take much more without some rest." Joe forced an intent look.

"We must find them. No matter what." The three took another look around the cabin but could find no clues by flashlight. They went outside. Chet peered through the field glasses again in hopes to find a clue or better yet, the others. But nothing was seen out of the ordinary. They observed Joe was still looking somewhat incoherent from the blow to the head and was wobbling a bit.

"We need to get you back to camp and get some food and rest." Chet said firmly. Joe did not argue. The three headed for the river.

"Frank said you got the boat business taken care of?" Joe asked. Tony gave a snort. Joe looked a bit alarmed.

"You fixed the boat, right?" Tony took a breath.

"Well, the guys who knocked the hole in the bow also sabotaged the motor. We barely made it to Treeport and by that time the Sleuth was not just a boat that needed some patching. The repairs would have taken two weeks and about eight thousand dollars." Joe looked amazed.

"Well, I can't blame you for that. So I guess you rented a boat??" he asked. Chet shook his head.

"There didn't appear to be a rental agency around there so I just bought a little boat to help us through." Joe smiled.

"Good. I would hate to be stuck here without a boat." he said as his energy was draining. They finally reached the river. Joe leaned against a tree whole Tony and Chet uncovered the boat. His eyes widened. For even in the darkness he could see Chet's 'little' boat was more like a junior yacht.

"Ole Chet does it again. Needed something to match that new Yukon, huh?" he asked with a laugh and smiled as he stepped into the large craft. He sat down. Tony and Chet pushed the craft off the cove a bit and hopped in. Chet turned the motors over and the roared to life. He guided the boat around the cove and back down river.

"I hope they are waiting at the camp." Tony said, though knowing it was a long shot. Chet spared no speed and had the boat pulling into their camp within twenty minutes. He turned the motors off and they got out. Joe looked at the new tents with a chuckle.

"So you came around, huh Chet? Didn't feel like going back to the original camp and grabbing those tents?" Chet grinned sheepishly.

"Not my desire at present to have that large a tent or step into a rifle sight if someone is still hanging around there." He turned to Tony.

"Hey Tony, can you start a fire? I am sure Joe could use a meal. Hell, I could use a meal after that experience." Tony smiled and nodded.

"Sure, dude." he said and went about his task. Soon he had a fire ablaze. Chet took out some meat from the cooler and soon had three stakes grilling. He also put on some coffee. Within minutes Chet had served Joe a plate overflowing with Steak and a cup of coffee. Joe felt better after they had finished eating.

"Ok, now let's lay out a plan of action for tomorrow." Joe said firmly.

"Well, we should go back to that cabin tomorrow and take a look in the daylight, or as much daylight as we will get in this place." Chet said.

"If we find no leads I want to go back to our original campsite and look around there." Joe said.

"Sounds good." Tony said. "But let's turn in. It's late and we need to be up early." there were no objections. They were soon in their sleeping bags and fast asleep. The boys had hoped to get a start by six but they woke up at half past eight. Joe looked better and said he felt better after getting some rest. But his determination to find his brother and Bill was undaunted.

"Let's pack the camp up. It is doubtful we will return here just to camp." Tony said. The others agreed this was the best idea and proceeded to take the tents down and pack up all the supplies. With the supplies stowed in the boat, they prepared to depart. Chet checked the system out and turned the motors over. With a subdued roar the motors came to life. Joe looked over the craft with an impressed look. He gave a low whistle at seeing the multi display monitoring system on the helm.

"Pretty nice, Chet. Though I hate to ask how much." he said with a shiver. Chet smiled.

"Not too bad. Under fifty." Joe coughed at hearing this.

"Fifty large on a boat?? I know many boats cost a whole lot more than that, but still, last time I checked we weren't exactly a firm that made millions in fees Chet." Chet smiled.

"I will scrape it out." he said. He guided the craft out of the cove and headed up the river. Chet wasted no time as they were running late already. within fifteen minutes they had pulled into the area they were the evening before. They quickly alighted from the craft and quickly covered it up. They set out deliberately and without caution as they were determined to find Frank and Bill at all cost. They were able to make their way to the small hidden cabin within minutes. Chet pulled his gun out. Tony made sure the shotgun her was carrying had shells. They approached the door. Suddenly Chet held up a hand.

"Say, Tony. It wasn't a dream last night when you kicked this door in and busted the lock sheer off, was it?" he asked. He pointed to the door which had apparently been repaired. A new lock in place and secure.

"How the hell did that get there?" Tony asked in amazement. Joe tapped on the door.

"That's solid, guys. If you kicked this door in last night the latch had to be not the finest. Don't suppose you have a lock pick on you, Chet??" Chet shook his head in annoyance as he had failed to include this very useful tool that he normally carried with him on this trip. He looked up.

"No, I don't have it. But Tony here has the Winchester master key." He smiled to the Winchester twelve gauge pump shotgun Tony had. Joe held up a hand.

"Let's wait a second guys. If someone is on the other side of that door then they could get hurt." Chet shrugged and conceded this was a possibility. Tony gestured to Chet.

"How about your pistol Chet? One good shot if aimed downward would minimize risk of the slug doing any harm. I mean I doubt anyone is tied up at the foot of the door inside." Chet and Joe both nodded. Chet removed his Smith & Wesson he had placed in it's holster just a few moments before. He aimed at the lock from above and fired a shot into the lock. The blast blew the lock totally off. Tony kicked the door in and Chet followed with his gun drawn. The only thing in the main room was a table and some garbage strewn out on the floor. Chet approached the other room and kicked that door in. That room, which had been used to hold Joe the night before was now completely empty.

"Say, what happened to the chair and cut rope from last night??" he asked with a puzzled look.

"Stranger by the minute." Tony commented looking around. They walked out and into the kitchen which had nothing in it but an enormous cook stove.

"I'd hate to have to cook in here." Chet muttered. Damn stove would chase you right out once it was lit. wonder why they stuck such a huge stove in here." Tony smiled.

"They probably used what was available. Probably didn't have a choice." Joe had wondered back into the main room of the tiny cabin and began looking at a few pieces of garbage on the floor. It appeared to be just a crumpled up brown paper bag and a couple soda bottles. Joe unfolded the paper back and looked inside. There didn't appear to be anything interesting. Sandwich wrappers. He suddenly smiled. He fished out a matchbook. He held it up.

"You got something?" Chet asked eagerly. Tony nodded.

"Maybe. This matchbook says: Ed's tavern and Grille. Treeport."

"Treeport?" Chet repeated. "Where we just bought the boat?" Tony nodded.

"Same one." he said. Chet looked to Joe.

"Are you hungry for some restaurant food, Joe?" Joe smiled.

"Like from that fine restaurant called Ed's" he asked. Chet smiled.

"Let's go. Maybe that is a hangout for the gang." Joe nodded.

"Worth a shot. Let's give it a try." he said. The group looked about all around the cabin, but couldn't even pick up a footprint that wasn't there own.

"That's bizarre. Like they took time in the middle of the night to brush away their trail as they left it." Tony asked aloud.

"Seems pretty smart alright." Joe commented. "Ok, let's get to Treeport." he said and the group retraced their steps to the boat. Soon the boat was uncovered and Chet had her running. They took it down stream at a quick pace. Chet had the throttle up to a third, which for the narrow river channel was sometimes hard to navigate. Another ninety minutes of fast travel brought them to the town of Treeport. Chet pulled into a public slip and the group alighted. Joe looked down at the matchbook.

"Says here the place is at two eleven west Pershing." he said. They quickly found out where the place was from a man on the dock and they headed up towards the town. Within minutes they were standing in front of a battered three story brick building. There was a wooden sign that hung in front. It said: Ed's Tavern and Motel. The three walked inside. They found a dim lit atmosphere. The tavern had a long bar, which there were about five patrons who all appeared to be locals. There were also several small wooden tables scattered in the small confines of the restaurant. Chet pointed to a table nearest the wall and the three sat down. They looked over the menu. A moment later a well build brunette. About twenty three wearing short jean cutoffs and a lac white top which was unbuttoned enough for Chet and the others to do a double take. She smiled down at them.

"Hey there. What can I get ya?" she said softly. Chet looked up slowly.

"Hello there. Have we met before? I never forget a face... I'll get to yours in a minute." he quipped. The girl smiled down at him.

"Is there something you would like to eat?" she asked softly. Before Chet could offer comment. She gestured slightly towards the menu. "That's on the menu." Chet reddened a bit and smiled.

"Three cheeseburgers and a Bud Light, please." he said quietly She smiled and looked to Joe.

"Two of those and Coke, please." he said.

"Same for me." Tony put in. She looked down.

"Be about fifteen guys. I'll be right back with your drinks." she said and slowly turned in front of Chet and walked slowly away. Chet's eyes were transfixed on the girl's rear. Tony snapped his fingers in front of Chet's eyes.

"Don't be too subtle there, Chet." he laughed. A moment later she returned with the drinks. She set them down and smiled. Chet returned the smile.

"Thank you very much,,, miss??" She looked down at him and looked deliberately back into his eyes.

"Honey, slow, sweet and sticky." she said with a smile and walked away. Chet coughed abruptly. Joe and Tony were on the verge of cracking up.

"I think she likes you, Chet." Tony said with a laugh. Joe grinned.

"Little bit of a tease, wasn't she?" he said. Chet smiled and nodded.

"Guess you could say that." he said still somewhat entranced by the young waitress and her personality.

"Haven't forgot why we came here, have ya Chet?" Joe asked. Chet nodded slightly.

"Not at all Joe, but most of the patrons here look like drunks, not kidnappers." Joe nodded.

"But this is a big place. And we also must consider that whoever had the matches may have just come in once. At any rate, you'll excuse me while I use the restroom." he said getting up. He walked into a dingy restroom in the corner of the tavern. While attempting to do his business in such a filthy environment he started reading the finer poetry that usually graced the walls of such establishments. A moment later he froze. Scrawled lightly on the wall of the restroom was a familiar writing. 'F-24 SOS' next to this there was an arrow pointing up. It was Franks writing and radio handle. Joe snapped his fingers. Frank must be upstairs in one of the motel rooms. He quickly rushed out of the restroom and to the table.

"I think I know where Frank is!" he said somewhat excitedly. Chet looked at him blankly.

"By using the bathroom you psychically now know where Frank is?" he asked. Joe rolled his eyes. And he relayed what he had discovered in the restroom. Joe was all for storming upstairs and ramming every door down until Frank was found. Chet put a hand on his shoulder.

"Take it easy Joe. That sounds a little rash. Suppose some of these guys are in on it? We'd be left wide open." Joe gave Chet a look that stated clearly that they were not going to leave until they had searched every room. Chet smiled.

"We'll search Joe. But let's eat first and devise a plan." Their food soon came and they ate quickly. Chet looked to the others.

"Ok, I suggest we use the guise of wanting a room for the night. That will get us up there." Joe and Tony nodded.

"Good idea, Chet." The three walked over to the bar. Chet laid down a twenty for the food and looked at the bartender. He was a man of about forty five, unshaven and generally unfriendly. He took the money for the food and gave them their change. Chet cleared his throat.

"I'd like a room for the night if you have one." The bartender looked at the three with annoyance but forced himself to not walk off and tend to more important affairs.

"That will be fifty thirty five a night. In advance." he said. Chet tossed down two twenties and the man changed his tune somewhat. He grabbed a key off a nearby key board and placed it on the counter.

"Room two ten. Up the stairs and to the left. Checkout is at ten. No loud parties either." he said. Chet nodded and the unpleasant man walked away. Chet took the key and Joe and Chet followed him through the entryway to the stairs. As they climbed the stairs Chet drew out his magnum. Tony rolled his eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Now we can't go storming into people's rooms with a canon. We'd get kicked out or arrested within five minutes. Let's knock on doors and act like we are looking for a friend. Depending on the reaction of the person we can rule them out or see if it's someone who warrants a closer look." Chet and Joe nodded that this was probably the best approach. Chet placed his magnum in his belt for quick access. They walked up to the first floor. They came to the first door. Chet tapped lightly on it. An old man, obviously a local who was using the motel as a home judging by the man's quantity of personal possessions he had furnishing his room. He looked to them somewhat annoyed.

"Yeah. What do you want?" he asked impatiently. Chet smiled.

"Sorry, old timer. We have the wrong room." he waved them off and shut the door. Chet looked at the others with an amused look and they walked to the next door. Chet knocked on it. A moment later a woman in her early thirties answered. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Wearing an open silk robe that revealed her to only be wearing some scantily clad underwear. Joe and Tony turned slightly red. Chet smiled. She looked the young men over with a smile.

"Well, Leo said he could only send one of his studs over today. I see he made an exception for one of his good customers. Well, I've done two before. I'm sure three can only be more fun. Come in boys!" Chet took a step forward into her room but Tony and Joe place a hand on either of his shoulders and pulled him back. Joe looked at the woman and smiled.

"Sorry, ma'am. Wrong room." he said and he and Tony guided Chet away and down the hall.

"We haven't any time for that Chet," Joe said evenly. "Frank and Bill are missing." Chet smiled.

"Well, if we find them can we go back? I'm sure five would be even more fun that three." Tony couldn't help but laugh.

"Chet, you got class, Dude. But we have priorities." he said and they continued toward another door. Joe rapped on it. No answer.

"Maybe it's empty." Tony speculated.

"Maybe." joe said not totally convinced. "Maybe they are asleep. Who knows. What do you think, Chet?" Chet smiled and took out a lock blade knife and opened it.

"Only one way to find out." he said slipping the blade between the jam and the worn out door. It was easy to trip the latch. The door opened and they slipped in. The room was apparently empty.

"Let's search it for clues at least before moving on." joe said taking the main room. Chet sauntered over to the restroom. He entered it and flipped on the light. He made a face upon seeing the room. In need of pant and new fixtures. He smiled at the graffiti on the wall.

"Hmm, let's see here. 'For the best sex ever call Eva 223-9077' ah, here's a good one. 'For a one woman man call Dawn for an appointment 223-7655' or 1-800-IM-LOOSE he added himself with a chuckle. Tony walked in.

"Who you talkin to Chet?" he asked.

"Oh, no one. Just trying to find a date." he said. Tony smiled.

"Yep, nothing like you own private personals section in the bathroom." he quipped. But Chet had just noticed something to excite him.

"Tony! Joe! Look at this!" he yelled. Joe rushed in and saw Chet reading the graffiti.

"What's up Chet? Did you find the phone number of the woman who lives down the hall?" he asked. Chet pointed towards the bottom of the wall. Joe almost whooped for joy. It was Frank's writing again. The scrawl said: 'back to hollow. Walk into te wall. F&B'

"What do you suppose that last part means?" Tony asked dumfounded. Joe shrugged.

"Don't know. But the rest is simple enough. Let's get back to the boat." he said. The group quickly left the beat up motel and headed back down towards the dock. They got into the boat and quickly headed back up river.

"Where do you think we should go first?" Tony asked. Chet smiled.

"I say that little cabin again. Maybe I'm just beating a dead horse but the way they came back and fixed that door leads me to believe they don't really want visitors there. Bu this time I'd like to try to catch someone if possible. What say he stake it out? It's getting dark. Maybe someone will show up that we could nab and lead us to Bill and Frank." he said. The others nodded and Chet guided the craft further up river. Chet made the trip to the cove near the cabin in just under eighty minutes. It was mid evening and quite dark. They alighted and covered the boat up. Chet checked his weapon and the group pushed into the brush. As they approached the clearing CHet handed Joe one of the hand held radios.

"Ok, Joe. Try the east side of the clearing. We will take the west. We will keep our eyes peeled and radio back and forth and see what happens." Joe nodded and took the radio and a backpack of supplies. They separated. Joe made his way discreetly around the clearing to the east side. Tony and Chet settled in a spot in the high brush on the west side. They cleared a little patch and sat down for their long vigil. Chet picked up his field glasses and focused in on the cabin.

"Looks dead. So far."he commented. He picked up the radio.

"Joe, are you all situated?" he asked.

"Yeah, though there doesn't appear to be anyone around."

"That could change. Let's keep our eyes open."

"I hope so. I'm getting worried." Chet looked down at the radio. Not sure what to say. He shared those feelings.

"Yeah, me too." he said calmly. The vigil went on uneventfully for the next three hours. Shortly after midnight Joe's radio crackled as he was resting against a tree.

"Joe. Are you over there?" came Chet's voice. Joe scooped up the radio.

"I'm here. What's up?" he asked. Picking up the field glasses and taking a look.

"You see what we see?" Joe noticed a dark figure was settled in front of the door and apparently doing a repair job on the door.

"Yeah! I see him!" came joe's excited voice. "Fixing the door... again?" he asked incredulously.

"Does seem odd, doesn't it?" came the reply back. "But what's more odd if you didn't notice. He came out of the cabin." Joe had been distracted a for several moments before Chet's radio call.

"Are you sure? I mean I didn't see him or anything but could have missed him."

"We have been watching in shifts. He came out of that cabin." Joe shook his head in bewilderment.

"What was he doing? Sitting in the dark?" he asked confused by the idea that the stranger had not approached the cabin from the outside. He looked through the glasses again. It appeared as if he finished his repair job and had vanished back inside.

"Let's see if he comes out again." Chet said. Joe had been trained in on the door. He was confused because he saw no light come from around the door frame or anywhere else in the cabin. A few moments later the stranger reappeared and quickly vanished along the hollow wall. Joe picked the radio back up.

"Chet, Tony. Watch the cabin for any other action. I am going after that guy." he said pulling a pistol out of his handbag. Chet looked down at the radio. He was concerned but knew Joe was going to do it no matter what.

"Alright man, but take it easy. That guy didn't look like he wanted company."

"I will. Wait around here until three. If nothing more happens pitch a camp about half a mile south along the river and I will find you, if the trail doesn't get too hot." Chet smiled at this last statement.

"Just watch you tail, cowboy. There's only a revolver in your pack not a machine gun. Be careful!"

"Will do." he said and signed off. Tony could see Joe moving in the same direction that the stranger did a few moments before.

"Hope he watches himself." Chet said quietly. "He is a bit emotionally charged up." Tony nodded.

"He is a good detective. He will be ok." Chet nodded.

"Say Tony, I have a theory. That dude left pretty quick. Maybe he left a clue behind. What say we go and investigate?" Tony nodded and stood up.

"Sounds good. And my back was killing me having to squat down like that for hours." Chet nodded his agreement. They rounded up their supplies and Tony picked up his shotgun and Chet held his magnum on the ready. They slowly walked towards the cabin. They came up to the door. Tony smiled down to the repair job. He lowered the shotgun.

"Pity I have to ruin this nice repair job, but,,," Chet held up a hand.

"Wait a second man. If you go blasting that canon off the guy Joe is trailing may get suspicious. We had better open that door silently." Tony nodded. Chet backed up about eight foot and took a running tackle against the door. It splintered under the pressure and the door popped open. Tony flipped on his flashlight and led the way in with Chet, gun drawn backing him up. The main room was empty. Chet kicked in the side room but it too was empty. The pair turned and walked into the kitchen but there was nothing except the huge ornate iron cookstove and a couple crates. Chet sat down on one with a look of exhaustion.

"Man, I half thought we would find something. Or someone!" he said somewhat discouraged. Tony sat on the other crate. Chet looked up again with a confused look on his face. Tony noticed his perplexed expression.

"What?" he asked simply. Chet looked to him.

"Something doesn't fit here, man. That dude was fixing the door."

"So..." Tony said, still not following what his friend was leading up to.

"Well, when he was out there fixing the door I noticed that big toolbox he had along side him. He didn't take them with him. I know that."

"And they aren't in here." Tony finished. Chet held his hands up.

"Since when do thirty or forty pounds of tolls just walk off?" Tony laughingly gestured to the massive stove.

"Maybe they are in there." he said. Chet, feeling somewhat silly opened the door to the stove.

"Nope. Nothing in there. Though you could hide a body in there. I still don't know why this big thing is in here. You light it up and you couldn't possibly sit in here comfortably. The damn thing must weigh a ton and took ten men to haul it in here." he said giving it a mock push with his arm. To his and Tony's surprise the stove actually moved a little.

"Either that stove doesn't weigh as much as it should or I am a lot stronger than I thought I was." He pushed on it with both hands and to their amazement the stove pushed away from the stone wall on rollers and revealed a stairwell leading down into the stone wall. Tony gasped at the opening.

"Walk into the..."

"Wall." Chet finished remembering Frank's clue he had left them.

"Franks Clue!" Tony gasped. Chet nodded.

"And wherever this leads I am sure we will find some tools." He drew his weapon and tony aimed his flashlight down the steps.

"Lets go." he said. They cautiously walked down the stone steps. They came down to what appeared to be a damp and musty cavern. Tony flashed his beam against one wall. It revealed a huge pile of rubble which covered what appeared to be two tunnels. Tony slowly turned the light towards the other side of the room. A moment later they were greeted by a ghastly sight! Frank and Bill imprisoned in a large cage!


	7. Chapter 7

"Who is that??" Came Franks voice. Chet smiled despite the sight and they ran over to their friends.

"It's Chet and Tony." Chet said with a relief. Frank and Bill heaved sighs of relief.

"Thank God!" Frank said. "Chet, get this door open. We haven't much time!" he said hastily. He and Bill peered over their shoulders.

"Keep your shirt on Frank. Don't blow a gasket. We will get you out and if any of those scum comes back we will put them in this cage." Bill shook his head.

"Chet, you don't understand. Look!" he said gesturing towards the ground a few foot away. Tony took the flashlight and shone it to the area they pointed. On the floor were several sticks of TNT and for good measure they were wrapped in a C4 plastique mold. Chet stuttered and shook for a moment.

"A b-b-b-bomb?!?!" he said. Frank nodded.

"Bingo Chet. And we are all gonna blow a gasket if you don't open the door." Chet took a breath. Tony looked scared beyond belief.

"How much time left on that package, Frank?" Chet asked beaming the light down on it. Frank looked down.

"Three minutes and forty seconds! Hurry Chet! Blow that padlock off!" Chet took out his magnum.

"But," Tony interjected. "If you fire that thing and it ricochets it could hit the explosives and detonate the explosives." Chet gave Tony a mild look and rolled his eyes.

"Thanks, Tony. I will try not to blow us up any sooner than need be!" he said. He aimed his magnum at the padlock. He fired. The padlock dropped. They were free! Bill and Frank pushed the door open and started running.

"Let's get the hell out of here!" he said leading the way up the stone steps. They raced through the cabin and into the clearing. They had not sprinted seventy yards when the earth shook with a tremendous explosion. The group was thrown to the ground. They were alright however. Chet looked over his shoulder. The cabin, what little was left of it was on fire. Frank looked to it and then over to Chet.

"Thank god you guys showed up. Thanks for saving our skin." Bill managed a smile and nodded.

"No doubt. You guys are lifesavers!" Frank looked about.

"Say, where is Joe?" he asked. Chet took a breath.

"Well, he is chasing down the guy who was hanging around the cabin. But now, I can't figure it out. We did a stake out of the cabin tonight. This guy who had apparently been down in the tunnel with you guys came out and fixed the door. But if he was going to blow the place up anyway... why fix the lock??"

"Maybe he wanted to add some insurance that no one would get in there and find you before the explosion." Tony speculated. Frank nodded.

"I'm not sure who he was. If this is the same guy, he was one that held us. But he blew a couple tunnels earlier with much smaller explosive charges. Just enough to block escape into the tunnel. That guy wanted us dead! God, I hope Joe is careful." The others felt more strongly about this after realizing how desperate this man was.

Chet looked at his watch. Then he smiled.

"Well Joe asked us to make a camp about half a mile down. He said he would meet us there later unless the rail got hot with that guy." Frank nodded.

"Then let's go make camp. And some food, I am starved!" Bill smiled at this idea.

"No doubt. You have some food left, right Chet?" Chet grinned.

"When do I not have food, guys?" he asked with a laugh. The four made their way to the river. Frank and Bill looked in awe as Chet and Tony uncovered the boat. Frank chuckled.

"That sure looks like the repaired Sleuth." he laughed. Chet smiled and explained the problem regarding the Sleuth. Bill smiled.

"That's one nice ship Chet." he said as they got in. Chet started the motors and the lights. He guided the boat down river. At the half mile mark he looked for a cove to pull into. He soon found the perfect spot and pulled in. They lit a few portable lights and managed to erect a tent and make camp. Chet started a fire. Tony reached into the cooler and pulled out a few Coronas. He passed them out. Frank sat there drinking slowly. He was hoping that Joe was alright. Tony looked over to him.

"You ok, Frank?" he asked. "Can I get you anything?" Frank rubbed his head thoughtfully.

"Aspirin would be nice." he said. Tony smiled and pulled his backpack over to where he was sitting. A minute later he tossed Frank the bottle.

"Thanks." he said absently.

"You sure your ok?" Tony persisted. Frank gave a slight smile.

"Just a worried man with a worried mind." he said somewhat softly. Chet began grilling catfish steaks. He soon had it served up. Frank and Bill ate with zest. Bill looked up.

"So, did you guys manage to track us by the radio and then finding the cabin?" Tony nodded.

"Yeah. We also found Frank's clues in Treeport." he said. Frank nodded.

"Two of them took us there. We didn't see much of anyone but the two who took us there. They wore fake beards and hats while we were around."

"Why did they take you two there?" Tony asked curiously. Bill shrugged.

"Hard to say." he said. Chet looked up.

"They might have had to meet one of the members of the gang or a boss or something along those lines." Frank nodded between mouthfuls of fried fish.

"That's what I was thinking too, chet. I certainly wish we could have found the captain. Or a trace of some sort. But they were pretty closed lipped around us. They did let that little quip about walking into the wall. But we didn't really know what it meant till they took us back to that cabin and moved that big ass stove and the steps led into the rock wall."

"We stumbled onto that one quite by accident." Tony confessed, explaining how they found the stove and it moved easily. Frank smiled, but in his mind felt still shaken at having narrowly escaping death. The desperation of the criminals they were dealing with was becoming quite obvious.

"We need t be very careful in dealing with these people." Frank said sternly. They are obviously not afraid to take people out. But I am still trying to figure out what they are doing here in this hollow and where the captain is." Tony lit a cigarette and took a long drag. He looked up.

"I can't figure it out either. It's cinch they aren't stealing chickens. But I don't know what other lucrative crimes can be had out in these parts." They were interrupted by the sound of a motorboat coming up the river. Chet reached for his magnum. He tossed a rifle to Frank.

"I am guessing the bad guys took your canon away. Here. Let's see if we can ambush them if there isn't too many." Frank nodded. Tony pumped a shell into his shotgun. They quickly made their way down to some foliage by the water's edge and waited as the sound of the motorboat came nearer. They were amazed to see a medium sized motorboat enter the cove where they were camped.

"Get ready!" Frank warned. "They might be a lot of them." A moment later the motorboat slowed near theirs and abruptly the motor cut. The light from the boat illuminated a sight none of them expected! Joe and the stranger who had been seen in and around the cabin. The lock repairer and probable bomber and murderer. Joe held a gun on the man. The group emerged from behind the foliage and waved to Joe.

"Frank! Bill!" Joe screamed in relief. "Your alive!!" he said with clear relief showing on his face. Chet leveled his magnum at the man.

"Ok, Joe. I have him covered. Now get out, you!" he commanded. The two alighted and Joe tied up the craft. They prodded their prisoner up to their camp and by the fire. They were then able to get a good look at him. He was about thirty five. Black hair and swarthy face. He looked at the group defiantly. Joe smiled and Bill and Frank.

"Wow. It is great to see you two alive. This one here tried to convince me you were blown into a million pieces. And after that explosion I was inclined to believe him." Frank looked to Chet.

"Chet, do you have any rope so we can tie this guy up?" he asked. Chet smiled.

"I can you one better Frank!" he said and reached into the bag and produced a pair of handcuffs. Frank smiled.

"Excellent Chet." he said taking them and slapping them on their prisoner.

"I suppose you tried to interrogate him?" Bill asked. Joe nodded.

"Yeah, all he said is that we had better clear out or we would get blown up too." Frank turned to the prisoner.

"You had better come clean. What's your game here? Where is our friend that you also kidnaped? Come on, out with it!" he demanded. The prisoner merely kept the same sullen expression and said,

"You ain't getting nothin out of me you punk kids. I suggest you leave and let me go while you still can." Frank looked angry. Chet stepped up.

"Frank, you have to use tact with the ignorant." he said removing his magnum from the holster. He placed the canon in the man's mouth.

"Now then. Who are you working for and what is going on in this hollow?" The man flinched but remained quiet. Chet pulled back the hammer on the gun. The man began to shake violently.

"Ok, I don't know anything. I was just ordered to blow some tunnels and keep people out of the way from certain places."

"Any that includes murder??" Frank snapped. The man flinched again.

"Look. I don't know the guy's name or anything." Chet removed the gun and shrugged.

"He's just a hired hand Frank. If he knows any sensitive info he isn't telling under great duress." Joe walked up to Chet.

"Chet, are you nuts. You could have blown his head off. We need him alive. He probably knows where the captain is." Chet smiled.

"It's ok Joe. The gun was empty. I think." He pointed it at the man and pulled the trigger six times. "Yep, was empty." he confirmed. The prisoner looked pale and was very much surprised to find himself still alive. Frank and Joe led him to a large tree about fifty yards away and made him wrap his arms around it and placed the handcuffs back on. They walked back to the camp and the group sat in front of the fire to discuss the situation. Chet looked over towards the prisoner.

"This guy isn't going to tell us anything. He is obviously too scared to betray the boss. Sounds like a charming guy for sure. What do you suppose we should do with him?" Frank poured some coffee and shrugged.

"I think your right. He isn't going to talk. The best course of action would be to send him home."

"But Frank. We don't even know where he lives." Chet joked. Frank half smiled and shot him a look.

"I mean turn him into Bayport police. I am not sure how the local authorities will react to private detectives accusations. A lot of small towns have very corrupt law enforcement. However we could turn him into the state police. Though if we took him to Bayport we could get a breakdown of who he is and any inside info the Bayport police could supply us with." The others nodded.

"So, who goes?" Tony asked. Frank took another drink and looked up.

"Well, I have yet to make a comprehensive search of this place so I personally would like to stay." Chet nodded and smiled.

"Well, I am dying for a sub sandwich so I will go. Tony can tag along for added safety just in case some of the gang try an ambush on the way out." Frank nodded.

"That works for me just fine. Joe, Bill and myself can see if we can get a lead on the captain."

Within ten minutes they had checked on the prisoner and turned in for the night. Joe and Bill volunteered to stay on guard duty just to be sure no unexpected visitors showed up. The night passed quietly however and by five in the morning the camp was bustling with coffee being made and preparations being made for the search in the hollow and the trip to Bayport. Chet and Tony secured the prisoner in the rear of the boat. Once they had him securely chained to the boat's floor they went up to the camp for one last coffee. Frank poured the pair some coffee.

"You boys ready to go?" he asked them with a smile. Chet yawned then nodded.

"Yep. Ready and willing." he said managing a smile. Tony downed his coffee in one gulp and looked up.

"Yeah. This will be fun, Chet. Think of all the walking we get out of by doing this." Chet smiled.

"True. Very true. Ok, let's get that scumbag behind bars." He checked his weapon and holstered it. Tony picked up his shotgun and walked beside Chet. Frank, Joe and Bill walked down the water's edge to see them off.

"Remember, use the radio if you have any trouble." Joe called as Chet and Tony got into the boat and started the motors up.

"Be careful!" Frank called as they waved on their way out. He three turned and walked back up to camp.

Chet and Tony took the boat down river at a quick pace. Tony scanning the river's edge for anything suspicious as they went along.

"Think anyone will give us trouble on the way out of here?" Tony asked. Chet shrugged.

"Not really sure. Anything is possible but we should stay on guard just on the off chance." he said. By nine Chet looked down to the GPS monitor.

"We should hit Bayport around one or so."" he said. "We should be on the Atlantic in an hour or so." Tony nodded. They looked back to their prisoner who was his usual sullen self. The pair paid him little regard. By noon they were well on the Atlantic. Within the next half hour they were beginning to see familiar signs of the area in which they grew up.

"Should be home soon." Tony said with a smile. "I have some work I need to catch up on while we are here." Chet nodded.

"A man's work is never done." he said. Tony laughed as the pair turned into Barmet Bay. Chet cut the throttle as he entered the bay. They traveled across the bay and were soon mooring the boat inside the Hardy boat house. Chet turned to the prisoner and pulled out some keys. As Tony kept him covered Chet undid the chains and pulled the prisoner out of the boat. Tony and Chet prodded him out of the boat house and to the parking lot. Tony hit the remote entry for his car. Chet opened the door to a black Honda and shoved the prisoner into the back seats with his hands handcuffed behind him. Tony and Chet sat in front. Tony pulled out of the parking lot. He soon had the car speeding to police headquarters downtown. Within ten minutes Tony had pulled into a spot in front of the station. They got out and pulled the prisoner out. Chet held a gun on him as he prodded him up the steps. They entered the station. Chet and Tony led the prisoner down a side isle. Into an area that is generally restricted to police only and down a hallway. Seeing no one in the reception area, Chet knocked on a large closed door that bore the name: Chief Ezra Collig. A moment later a deep voice with slight Irish accent boomed.

"Yes?" he asked. Chet and Tony pushed the man through the door. They entered the office where a heavyset man in his fifties looked up a stack of paperwork.

"Well, Chet. Tony. How are you today?" he asked gruffly. Chet smiled.

"Hey there Chief. Well, Frank, Joe, Bill, Tony and I are on a case in Pennsylvania. We came back here to turn in a prisoner and check on some computer records once we find out who this bird is." The chief nodded. He focused in on the stranger with a frown.

"And what evilness has this one been up to?" he asked. Chet cleared his throat.

"Well he has kidnaped at least four people. Attempted murder as he tried to blow Frank and Bill up. That should hold him for starters. The chief bore down on him.

"Well, Mr. Silent, we will figure out who you are!" He pressed his intercom.

"McShane!" he yelled. "In here now please." A moment later a tall blonde officer rushed in. The chief looked at him.

"Yes, chief?" he asked. The chief pointed to the prisoner.

"Book him on suspicion of murder and kidnaping. Get his prints in the works and find out who he is. Like yesterday!" he yelled. Office McShane took immediate custody of the prisoner and rushed him away. The chief returned his gaze to the pair.

"Will you be in town long?" he asked.

"For the day. If you could get us a name and any info today that would be greatly appreciated. I will be at our office or my cell." The chief nodded.

"Sounds good. You boys be careful out there. Dealing with killers is a risky business. No matter how many times you deal with them or cases you solved. Someone trying to blow you up shows dome desperation." Chet and Tony nodded.

"Will do chief. Thanks a lot." Chet said. Tony nodded and the pair left. As they walked down the steps Tony looked at his watch.

"Mind if I drop you at the office while I get some work done?" he asked. Chet smiled.

"Not at all." he said. They got into the car and Tony pulled out into traffic and headed around the corner to Mulberry Street. A few moments later Tony let Chet out in front of the agency. Chet waved as he drove off. He turned and smiled. Cho's Deli was the business under the detective's office. It was frequented by Chet almost daily. He had become good friends with Cho, the Chinese owner over the last couple years. Chet walked in as he was hungry. A small middle aged Chinese man looked up and immediately smiled.

"Ah, Mr. Chet. So nice to see you. Have not see you for many day. I was becoming worried that I might have to file bankruptcy." Chet smiled.

"How's it goin Cho?" he asked. The man smiled.

"Much betta now that you hear." He said with a smile.

"Well, in that case I will take three super subs and a gallon of that chocolate milk." the man smiled and went about the task.

"Right away!" he said. Chet smiled as he watched him make the three huge sub sandwiches.

"That ought to hold me for an hour or two." he told himself. A few moments later Cho wrapped the sandwiches and placed the gallon of milk beside them.

"Let's see. That will be twenty two dollar and sixty one cents." he said. Chet tossed a twenty and a five down.

"Keep the change, Cho. Will see you later my friend." he said as he walked out. He turned the corner and climbed the stairs to the office. He found the door unlocked.

"Hmm, girls must be here tending to business." he thought. He walked through the door. Sure enough he found his sister Iola and her best friend Callie Shaw at a desk arranging papers. He looked over to them and cleared his throat. They looked up and smiled. She ran over.

"Hi bro. You guys are back? Where's Joe at?" she asked looking around. Chet smiled and held up a hand.

"Just me sis. Frank and Joe are still in the hollow. Tony and I had to come back and turn in a bad guy." Iola looked dejected and sighed. She was Joe's girlfriend, and on the verge of being a fiancé. Her friend Callie Shaw had been a steady girlfriend of Franks. But lately they hadn't been seen together all that much. No one really knew anything for sure as far as Chet knew.

"Well, I am glad I rate something." Chet said with a laugh. Iola smiled and hugged her brother.

"I'm sorry bro. It is good to see you too." she smiled. Callie came up and smiled to him.

"Hey Chet. I see you brought us lunch." she said taking the bag and milk.

"But,," he started. Callie pulled the sandwiches out and smiled to Chet.

"You are so sweet Chet. Seeing Iola's car down in the parking lot and making sure we had something to eat." Chet forgot his stomach for the time. Callie and Iola were certainly worthy of taking his lunch and not getting any flack. Iola sat down. She handed Chet one of the sandwiches.

"That one's your I hope. Callie and I don't eat that much." Chet brightened.

"Of course." he said sitting down with them.

"So," Iola begun "what brings you back? You had to turn someone in??" Chet nodded and went into a semi detailed account of their exploits ending up to taking the prisoner who had almost succeeded in blowing up Bill and Frank. Callie gave a start.

"Frank was almost blown up? She asked. She had a look of alarm but her level of concern overall was uncertain. Chet held a hand out.

"It's ok. He is fine."

"And you are going back?" Iola asked. Chet nodded.

"Yes. Probably later this afternoon or tonight. We are waiting to hear from the chief about who this guy is that we turned in. Plus Tony had some work to tend to."

"Oh, so your leaving tonight, then?" Iola asked slyly. Chet nodded slowly. He saw that look in her eyes before. That look that suggested to him that she had a plan. And this time that plan probably involved her making him and Tony take her and probably Callie with them. Even though it was a danger area which it was generally a forbidden rule to take friends or loved ones into a work zone that was considered dangerous. Chet wasn't too concerned about Iola and Callie. In the last few years they had both taken courses in criminology and attended FBI training, as arranged by Fenton Hardy for his sons and their closest friends who had a tenancy to become involved in the cases. Fenton Hardy had instilled within his sons that it was always wise to stay ahead of the criminal mind. This often involved training and classes.

Chet shook his head perceiving what his sister was going to demand to do.

"No way, Iola. I know you have been involved in many of our cases and have training and can take care of yourself most of the time, but this place has murderers and the gang seems pretty desperate. I am afraid Frank and Joe would object to you being involved on this one. It's not a simple case of smuggling or catching a burglar." Iola glared down at him, then smiled.

"But you and the others will be there to protect us." Chet raised an eyebrow.

"Us? I didn't see Callie begging to go." Iola smiled and turned to Callie.

"Callie wants to go to. She hasn't seen Frank in days. You want to go, right, Cal?" she said giving he r a slight nudge with her elbow. Callie looked a little perplexed but smiled.

"Of course I want to go. We can take care of ourselves on top of that." Iola gave her brother a firm look to suggest further argument would be futile. Chet rolled his eyes and threw up his hands.

"Ok, ok. You can go. God, Frank and Joe are going to have my ass." he muttered. Callie smiled and Iola patted him on the shoulder.

"You just let us take care of Frank and Joe." she said firmly. She turned to Callie.

"Say Cal. How about we go do something with our hair. We need to appear our best if we have to smooth over a couple disgruntle men." Callie pursed her lips.

"Sure. I need my hair done anyway." she said without much enthusiasm. Iola raised and eyebrow. But before she could say anything to her friend the phone rang. She picked it up.

"Hardy, Morton and Hardy agency." she said. "Oh yes. One moment please." she said placing the call on hold. She looked at Chet.

"Chief collig on two. Cal and I are going to the salon. When are you guys leaving?" Chet thought for a moment.

"Hard to say. As early as five. As late as eight or so. Also, if one of you could leave your car here for me, I will need it" Iola nodded.

"Ok, we will meet you at the boathouse. Can't wait to see that new boat you mentioned." she said taking her keys out of her purse and laying them on Chet's desk. Chet smiled and took a seat behind a desk. He watched Iola and Callie start to walk out the door. Callie followed Iola but seemed less enthused about their trip. She looked at Chet on the way out the door and waved with a half smile. Chet waved as he watched her leave. He shrugged then picked up the phone.

"This is Chet. What ya got, Chief?" he asked. "Yes, I have a pen. Shoot." he said. He started writing on a pad. "Oh really? Pretty interesting. Yeah. For sure. Well we can have formal charges filed as soon as Frank and Bill get back. They can actually finger him for planting explosives in a locked animal cage that they were held in. They can also probably finger him on the kidnaping. But you can hold him beyond that on parole violations. Good. Glad to hear he won't have any trouble finding accommodations at some facility and he is off the street. Oh? Not at all chief. Thanks again. Bye now!" he said. He had found out some interesting info. The phone rang again. Chet scooped it up.

"Hardy, Morton and Hardy. Where everything is a mystery to us... Hey Tony. No, I don't normally answer the phone like that but you know me. Yes. Heh heh. Yeah. Say, found out some info on the guy. Name is Jake Steed. A convicted hijacker. Has a rap sheet a mile long and at least one active warrant out on him. Yes. The chief was please to get him off the street. The hijacking rap is from an airport racket in Miami. So, not sure why he is hanging out in a hollow in Pennsylvania. In any event I am going to run his name through our files then Mr. Hardy's computer as well. When do you want me to stop by for you? I have Iola's car. Yeah. I can do that. Sure enough. See you then Dude. Later." he said hanging up.

Chet turned his attention to the computer and switched it into search mode. He entered the name Jake Steed, but as he suspected having never heard the name before, the search came back as _subject not found_.

Chet prepared to drive to the Hardy home to see if he could find anything out by looking on Mr. Hardy's computer. He shut down the computer and made sure the windows were closed. He turned the answering machine on and walked through the doorway. Taking out Iola's key chain he locked the office and walked downstairs. He turned into the alley and walked to the tiny parking lot located behind the building. He hit the remote entry on Iola's grey Volvo. Chet attempted to get in but realized early in the attempt that he had about eight inches and one hundred and ten pounds on his sister. He stepped out and adjusted the power seat before trying again. He smiled to himself. He turned the key and the engine roared into life. He wished around Iola's CDs. He found one of his Aerosmith CDs and slid it in. He burst into traffic. Within ten minutes he was pulling up to the corner of High and Elm. He got out and locked the car. He sauntered up the walk to the Hardy residence. He knocked on the door. A moment later Laura Hardy answered. She smiled broadly to Chet.

"Hello, Chet. You know you don't need to knock. Come on in. I just took a pie out of the over." Chet beamed. Some things just never changed.

"Thank you, Ma'am." he said stepping in.

"Are Frank and Joe in town?" Mrs. Hardy asked. Chet shook his head as he followed her into the kitchen and took a seat.

"Afraid not, Ma'am. Tony and I had to return to turn in one of the bad guys." he went into detail of their adventures. Mrs. Hardy placed half a cherry pie and a quart of ice cream before him. Chet smiled broadly and served himself. Mrs. Hardy expressed her concern for all parties involved then smiled to Chet.

"I know you boys know how to handle yourselves." she said.

"I guess Mr. Hardy isn't home yet?" Chet inquired. Mrs. Hardy shook her head.

"No, he is still in Pennsylvania also. Only on the opposite side of the state."

"What kind of case is he working on, if you know or have liberty to say?" Chet asked.

"I think it has something to do with hijacking." Mrs. Hardy said without much interest. Her husband had worked so many cases over the years. Mrs. Hardy couldn't help but have only limited interest after so many. Chet's suspicions were aroused. Since he had just turned in a known hijacker.

"Very interesting. We just turned in a hijacker." Chet commented. He now had renewed interest and finished his pie and looked up.

"I was going to run this bird's name on Mr. Hardy's computer and see if we could find any other data on him." Mrs. Hardy smiled. She went to the counter and poured herself glass of wine.

"Well, I hope you find out what you need to." she said with a smile and excused herself to go finish dusting. Chet washed his plate off and made his way to the Hardy study. He turned on the computer on Mr. Hardy's desk and waited for it to boot up. He then entered an internal search engine. He again entered the name of Jake Steed and hit enter. A moment later the machine beeped twice and an alert message came up: _Blue File Please Enter Security Clearance_.

"Damn!" Chet muttered silently. Mr. Hardy, since transferring his files onto hard disk had mad sure the computer had the finest security software. Therefore Chet knew it futile to try to break the code or find a back door into the system. He sighed heavily and shut the computer down. He got up and walked into the living room where he found Mrs. Hardy.

"Done already, Chet?" she asked. Chet smiled.

"Yes. Mr. Hardy had the file I was interested in locked so I couldn't get at it. But if he does contact you can you tell him that we just turned in Jake Steed to the police and if he feels there is something important we need to know that he contact us via shortwave or my cell phone." Mrs. Hardy smiled.

"Of course Chet. Now you give Frank and Joe my love and tell them to be careful." Chet smiled and nodded. After saying goodbye he exited and walked down the steps. He unlocked the Volvo and slid in. Chet spent the balance of the afternoon doing various errands and basically killing time in order to give Tony ample time to get some of his office work complete. By four thirty he pulled into the parking lot of the Prito Construction Company. He got out and walked in. He saw Tony look up from behind a computer.

"Hey Chet, what's up Dude?" he asked somewhat preoccupied. Chet shrugged.

"Keep running into brick walls. I did find Steed's name on Mr. Hardy's computer. But he has it in a classified section of the computer. I, of course do not have the password, and,,"

"Mr. Hardy isn't home yet." Tony finished. Chet half smiled and nodded.

"Exactly. I mean it's great we know that Mr. Hardy probably effects a knowledge of this character. But not sure what exactly. I know he is a stickler about not being contacted in the field unless it's an emergency or other damn good excuse." Tony nodded knowingly.

"I hear ya. I will have this wrapped up in a few Chet." Chet looked over Tony's shoulder and saw he was catching up on simple invoices. He grinned at this.

"Gee, I hope you reprimanded that secretary of yours." he said with a chuckle. Tony grinned sheepishly.

"Well, I was going to when I saw the backlog this afternoon, but she was wearing this incredible outfit... and besides she keeps a steady flow of men coming in here. She's ah..." Chet looked thoughtfully at him and curled his lips.

"Window dressing??" he asked with disapproval. Tony nodded slightly.

"Well, when you put it that way it makes it sound bad." he said. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Well, isn't it?" he asked. Tony sighed deeply.

"You do have a point, Chet. I suppose I should refrain from hiring a secretary based on appearance." Chet blinked his eyes in amazement.

"That would be a good start. Now your paying the price. If she can't do simple invoicing in the eight hours a day she has to do such tasks maybe she is jacking her jaw with all those subs who you have on your payroll. Subs that could be sitting in here on your dime peeking down her blouse when they should be... say... working??" Tony took the last comment to heart.

"You do make a good point, Chet. I think I will reevaluate my hiring policy."

"To say the least, man." Chet said with a chuckle as Tony shut down the computer and stood up. The two walked out of the office and Tony locked the door behind him. He got into the Volvo with Chet and they left the office behind. Chet looked over to Tony as he drive.

"Mr. Hardy is on a case in Pennsylvania. A hijacking case." he said. Tony raised an eyebrow.

"A connection you think?" he asked with interest. Chet shrugged.

"Hard to say but it is interesting to say the least." he said. "We just need to stay on our toes." Tony nodded his agreement.

"That's for sure. Danger is afoot with this group." Chet gulped as he thought about the choice he had to make earlier regarding the girls going with them. Ten minutes later Chet pulled into the public parking lot by the docks. He and Tony got out. Chet removed a large black bag from the trunk. Tony looked at him.

"What ya got there, Chet? Bag of uzis?" he asked. Chet shook his head mysteriously. The two walked down a series of sidewalks and down one of the docks that led to the Hardy boathouse. Chet pushed the door open. To Tony's surprise but not really to Chets the two girls were there waiting and smiling.


	8. Chapter 8

"Hi Chet. Hi Tony, we are ready to go." Iola said. Tony shot Chet a glance.

"Chet, are you nuts? You invited them to come?" Chet sidestepped the question.

"Well, Tony, I wouldn't really say _**invite**_..." he started. Callie broke in.

"In all fairness to Chet, Tony. We more or less invited ourselves and made Chet realize objecting was not in his best interest." Tony looked to Chet.

"How did they do that?" he asked. Chet shrugged.

"Well,,, Iola gave me that look, man. You know the one I mean." Apparently Tony did because he mellowed on Chet. He looked back to the girls.

"Are you aware how dangerous the area is that we are going into?" he asked them sternly. Iola stepped up and looked sternly back to him.

"Tony, we are going, face it!" she said flatly. Tony took a breath and sighed slowly. In looked into the eyes of the girls. Iola's bore heavy determination. Undoubtedly to see her Joe. Callie's expression was more of indifference. One that suggested she was being true to her best friend but may have not been all that concerned with seeing Frank. Tony half smiled.

"Ok. Sounds like a plan. I was just worried about the two of you. But I often forget you are hardly two fragile ladies and have been on many a case before and do have formal training." Iola smiled to him.

"A man with common sense." Tong gave a half smile back.

"To what avail it will do me in the eyes of Frank and Joe will be another question." he said. Iola rolled her eyes.

"Let me worry about them. We can take care of them." Callie nodded firmly.

"This much is true." Take it easy guys, we will take the heat." she said. She was aware what this would probably do to Frank. The two of them had been on the way out for several months now. Occasionally Frank would lead her back on but it served nothing more than to salt the wound and piss Callie off. She wasn't sure if she had the ability to end it herself. But she knew it was over. It just wasn't really public knowledge yet. Not even to her dearest friend beside her. Though Callie was sure Iola had at least an inclination. She smiled at Chet.

"Like you boat, Chet." Chet smiled back.

"Thanks Cal. Probably didn't need to go this overboard but it just happened." Callie giggled slightly.

"Nothing wrong with being spontaneous." she said as the group got in. Chet checked the boat over to make sure all was in order. A moment later he turned the motors over. Chet slowly pulled out of the boathouse. Once clear he burst into Barmet Bay at a quarter throttle. Tony sat in front beside Chet. He looked at him briefly.

"You know Frank and Joe are going to kill us for this, don't you?" he whispered softly. Chet shot a look back at him.

"You should know by now that Iola is as stubborn as I am hungry. If we hadn't let them go they would have just followed us." Tony shrugged.

"It's true enough, but Frank and Joe are still going to kick our ass." he said. Chet shrugged himself.

"Good lord. It isn't like they haven't had formal training in criminal apprehension. Wasn't it last year that Iola saved both Frank and Joe's butts from that deranged guy who kidnaped them?" Tony nodded with a smile.

"Very true." he said. Callie cleared her throat in an exaggerated manner.

"Are you guys talking about us up there?" she asked seeming to already know the answer. Tony threw up his hands in mock surprise.

"Ok, you caught us. We were just discussing the manner in which Frank and Joe would kill us." Callie gave them a somewhat irritated expression.

"Don't worry about Frank. If he gives you trouble, I will be happy to fix his wagon." she said firmly.

"And I will take care of Joe." Iola chimed in. Chet gave a hearty laugh.

"That's exactly what I am gonna let you do, sis" he said. Tony turned to Chet.

"Don't suppose you have any small weaponry for these ladies. I didn't see them bring theirs." Iola gave a peevish look.

"I didn't bring any from home because I didn't want mom to give me the third degree." Chet raised an eyebrow.

"I figure she'd be happy to see you armed after you told her you were going on a case with us with murderers around and the like." Iola smiled weakly.

"Well, I didn't exactly tell her about meeting up with killers and kidnappers. I told her we were going on a camping trip." Chet's eyes rolled.

"Slight exaggeration, sis. I hope she doesn't have reason to call Mrs. Hardy. Because she will set mom straight." he said. He then looked to Tony. "I predicted this little eventuality. Look in that black sack. You should find a pair of Walther PPK .380s for them." Tony smiled and removed the nickel plated PPKs and handed each one. The ladies were well familiar and trained with firearms. They checked the safety on their weapons and put them away. A while later Chet had the craft speeding down the Atlantic. Tony lit a cigarette. Chet looked over at him with a smile.

"Can ya take a back seat while pollute your lungs? That stuff gets into my system and I get drained just breathing the second hand." Tony smiled. He had no issues doing this as he respected his friends wishes when they brought them up regarding smoking. He walked over to the rear seat to finish his smoke. A moment later Callie came up and sat next to Chet.

"Hi Chet. What's the ETA?" she asked. Chet looked down at the GPS and looked up.

"Be after midnight since we got out a little later that I thought. If the weather cooperates." he said. She smiled and put an arm around him.

"You still aren't mad about taking us, are you?" Chet shook his head.

"I know you can handle yourselves. But Frank and Joe tend to have their thoughts. Which are not always on target but often times are. They will be pissed, but I'll live." Callie smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Thanks Chet. You know how important Joe is to Iola. They haven't seen each other in some time." Chet gave Callie a sideways glance. Wasn't there something missing there? About Frank... and... you?" Callie gave a sideways glance. And not in Chet's general direction. She flashed him a somewhat forced smile and returned to her seat besides Iola. Chet sat there perplexed. He had not been all that privileged to any data that would suggest that Callie and Frank were anything but still dating if not still exclusive. Though he thought Iola had mentioned something many months back about the two agreeing to see other people. He shrugged it off as they were having a tiff.

The evening wore on as Chet guided the craft down the Atlantic at a good clip. The weather started to cool. Chet read the electronic weather monitor which suggested the possibility of heavy rains in their area. Tony and Chet put on jackets they had brought. The girls were already wearing heavy sweaters though if the rain came they might not offer much protection from the elements. By ten Chet had finally steered the craft onto the river that would take them west. The blowing winds had cut progress considerably. The temperature was down to fifty one. Chet looked over to Tony.

"Sure wish we had a top for this thing." He said. Tony nodded rapid agreement as he felt a bit chilled. Chet himself felt a chill as a stiff head wind caught him off guard. Iola came up and put an arm around her brother.

"I will keep you warm." Iola said with a smile. Chet grinned.

"Aw, cut it out. You're my sister."

"You can keep me warm, Iola." Tony smiled giving an exaggerated chill. Iola wrapped her arms around him in a mock exaggerated form of affection.

The weather was not to hold out as they learned a few minutes later. A torrent of rain came and came strong. Within ten more minutes they were in the middle of a fierce thunderstorm. Chet turned on the pumps and looked back to the girls. Chet gave a hearty laugh. Tony looked and saw what he was laughing at. Callie and Iola looked like two drowned cats. Chet slapped Tony on the back.

"Did you know that earlier today they went and paid big bucks on those fancy hairstyles they were sporting." Tony gave a smile.

"At least these new rain induced hairstyles didn't cost them anything." he said with a laugh.

"well, you two don't look so hot." Iola said looking at them. Chet smiled back to his sister.

"Well, I don't have to go meet my significant other in a matter of hours either." he needled. Iola and Callie attempted to fix their hair. Tony laughed while watching this occur. A few moments later they realized the futility of trying to style their hair in a thunderstorm.

Chet turned on his flashers for use in the rain.

"Fun, fun, fun." tony echoed as the rain poured down upon them. Waves crashed against the boat without mercy. Chet cut the power down. For he knew that high power against crashing waves, intense rain and limited sight would only lead to doom.

"Better add another hour to that ETA." Chet called back. The girls groaned. Chet smiled in spite of things.

"Well I could put the throttle full out and we'd get maybe a hundred yards before we hit some huge wake and crash into a thousand pieces." he said. The girls had known they asked for it. Though Callie, as faithful as she was to her best friend she had to question her personal motivation or lack there of. Once upon a time she would have walked on fire to be with Frank. Now a mere thunderstorm was making her wonder if it was worth it. She had gone mostly to appease Iola. Though Iola was not totally privy to the her current status with Frank, she should still have deducted enough to have not assumed to include her in this little trip. She looked peevishly out the side into the blackness. Chet had turned the boat onto the smaller river which would actually lead into Black hollow. Soon after the weather abated somewhat. Chet looked down at the GPS.

"Be about another ninety minutes or so. We are almost at Treeport." Tony could not resist poking fun at Chet.

"Hey Chet. When we get to Treeport do you want to stop off at Ed's Tavern and Motel? We could go by and see that lady who invited you into her room." Chet shot him a sideways glare. Iola and Callie became immediately interested. They moved up towards the front of the boat.

"So," Iola started "you were looking for a little extra activity up here, huh?" she asked with a grin. Callie put an arm around Chet as he blushed at what had just transpired.

"What ever will Tiffany Blake say?" She asked coyly. As it was known, Tiffany Blake was Chet's girlfriend. Or so most thought since they were often seen together. Chet had been undecided himself. Tiffany was a pretty lady but her personality didn't always mesh well with Chet's. She had been very interested in him for many months. Though recently Chet noticed that Tiffany was not quite as persistent or clingy with him. Chet had put her off before and never considered the relationship exclusive.

"Aw, cut it our Cal. You'd act like we are some big and exclusive item about town."

"And your not?" Iola asked with a laugh. Still finding Chet's embarrassment amusing. Chet shrugged.

"Peel an onion." he said without elaborating.

They passed through Treeport which at the hour of night which it was there were nothing more than some public lighting on along the docks and a few street lights visible. The continued it on for a while silently. Chet hear the monitor give a _bleep_. He looked down at it. He smiled.

"We are inside the one hour marker for their signal. So it is now a matter of minutes." Iola looked overjoyed. Callie less so. Tony took out a cigarette and made his way back to the rear seats. Callie came up besides Chet.

"Hey. Does this wonder boat have any musical ability?" she asked. Chet looked over with a smile.

"Just as long as it is CD, MP3 or memory stick. If you have a cassette your out of luck. Oh, and it also has broadcast radio. But God knows what kind of music they transmit in these parts." Callie smiled and took out a CD. He looked down at it. A Sarah McLachlan disc. Chet smiled.

"Cool!" Callie was relieved to hear Chet liked her. He put the disc in. The weather had abated totally by this point and they went along on a smooth cool evening. The song_ Angel_ came on. Callie, who was still sitting next to Chet had an empty, perhaps slightly fearful look on her face.

"What's wrong, Cal?" he asked. She shook her head blankly. Tears welling in her eyes. She looked at him with a pleading expression.

"I don't want to see him." she said without elaborating. Chet looked perplexed.

"Who?? Frank?... why? Are you guys having a tiff?" he asked somewhat struck by her admission. She looked over her shoulder to Iola who was talking quietly with Tony in the rear. She looked back to Chet. She sighed deeply.

"I think it's well beyond that, Chet." she whispered with a sigh. Chet looked wide eyed.

"It's that bad? Really?" he asked quietly. Callie gave a wiry smile in spite of the subject at hand.

"Yeah. It's that bad. But you want to know the strange thing??" she asked. Chet nodded slowly. She looked at him with a blank, apathetic expression.

"I don't really care. I haven't loved him in any real way that two people in a relationship should love each other. And it's not unreasonably so. He has been drifting for several months now. It's hanging by a thread. I suspect when he initiated the plan to see other people it was more to his advantage than mine. I never did. But I suspect he has been shopping."

"Is he just a dumb ass!?!?" Chet exclaimed in amazement. Callie looked at him somewhat confused.

"Why would you say that?" she asked unsure of why Chet would make such a poignant remark about one of his best friends. Chet stammered a bit. Then he cleared his throat and shrugged.

"Well, it just would seem to me if you already have the best why mess with that?" he said not really believing he had uttered those words. Callie smiled at this. She kissed him on the cheek.

"You are sweet, Chet. Even if your just trying to make me feel better. I suspect Frank will figure himself out one way or the other." She smiled briefly and returned to her other seat. Chet sat there in thought for awhile. He had never really thought that Callie and Frank were doing anything but relatively good. They had dated since he could remember. He was more inclined to still think they were having just a tiff. Frank had not shared anything with him that suggested he was preparing to dump Callie for some other woman. Frank had never mentioned any other woman. But he still disapproved of how Frank was apparently upsetting Callie.

Tony made his way to the front and took his seat next to Chet. He smiled to him.

"Everything ok? Callie looked a little upset from the back. Plus your paying this chick music." Chet smiled and shrugged.

"I don't know man." he shook his head. Since the two ladies were seated in the seats behind them he didn't wish to go into detail about what Callie had said. He looked over his shoulder. He had to do a double take. Callie was leaning back. This normally would catch any man's attention. Callie was somewhat blessed in certain areas physically. But the wet sweater clinging to her breasts as she arched her back was a bit much for Chet to just make a passing glace at. Tony also had noticed. Of he had noticed Iola who was not quite as blessed at Callie but Tony had made no secret of the fact that if Iola and Joe ever broke up he would not have an issue with asking Iola out. The unfortunate problem in this picture was that in Tony and Chet's concentration to be typical males, at least for the moment, Chet nor Tony were aware that the boat was heading straight for the bank. They had just enough time to divert their gaze when the two ladies sat back up. Chet had just enough time to see he was seconds from crashing!

"Whoa!" he yelled twisting the wheel violently. Callie and Iola were tossed from their seats to the side of the boat. The boat straightened out and returned to it's course. Tony muffled a laugh when he realized what Chet had almost done.

"Chet!!" iola screamed without mercy, "what the hell are you doing? You almost threw Callie and I from the boat with that last turn! What were you doing? Sleeping?" chet searched for word.

"Well, I, uh,, mmm, I just kind of..." he looked over his shoulder to see his sister staring peevishly off to the side. Callie however, despite her emotional state, had realized what Chet did. She became conscious of it only after realizing how the rain affected the appearance of her attire. She smiled to him. Somewhat flattered that he would even have looked. Chet turned quickly and concentrated on guiding the craft up the channel. Tony smirked at him.

"Good going. You almost wrapped up a fifty thousand dollar boat because you were checking out hooters." Chet shot Tony a sideways glance.

"Where were your eyes my good friend? Checking out my sister?" he smiled.

"What are you guys talking about up there?" Iola asked peevishly. Chet cleared his throat.

"Was just telling Tony were are almost there according to the GPS. We are in the hollow now. Not that you could tell all that much. When daylight comes you will see how dark it stays." He said.

They traveled along for another twenty minutes. Chet looked about.

"We should hit the cove shortly." he said. "I assume wherever they found themselves after the search it was near water. Or at least that was Frank's plan so we could find them more easily." Tony nodded.

"He had intended to make a sweep to the west and circle back around to the north and meet up by the river." Chet nodded.

"That makes sense since we have passed the area where we were previously camping. Should be a few more minutes." Iola made her best attempt to renew her look after being rained on. Callie made no attempt aside from brushing her hair.

Chet slowed the boat considerably as the signal on the GPS indicated they should be on top of them. Tony pointed to an area to the right which may open into a cove. Chet guided the boat slowly in. Sure enough Chet pulled in right behind the boat that Joe had earlier taken command of from Jake Steed. Chet shut the motors down and looked at his watch. The time was shortly after two.

"Wow, that storm cost us a couple hours." he said. The group alighted. They walked along a narrow trail and came upon a camp. A small fire was still burning. Chet and Tony took a seat before it. Callie and Iola sat down across from them. Chet opened the flap of the nearby tent. He leaned in. Then turned back to the group.

"They are asleep. Shall I wake them?" Tony smiled wearily.

"Might as well get the little speech over with." he said. Chet smiled and nodded. He cleared his throat.

"You know, it's so unlike Frank, Joe and Bill to let people sneak up on their camp. We could be killers." he said in an overly loud tone. A moment later a head popped out of the tent. It was Joe.

"Hey Chet, Tony. You made it ba..." his words faded as he looked across the fire and saw Iola and Callie. "Ah, whoa. Hey ladies." he turned his head back into the tent. "Hey Frank, Bill. They are back..." he said. He came out and immediately walked over to Iola and sat down next to her. A moment later Frank and Bill walked out looking quite sleepy.

"Hi Chet... Tony, you make it back though that..." he looked across the fire and saw the girls before finishing, "storm." he said blankly.

"Iola, Cal. Uhm, hi. What exactly are you doing here?" he asked sounding groggy and unpleasant. Callie took a deep breath.

"We came along with Tony and Chet." she said flatly.

"I can see that." he said growing more upset. He turned to Chet and Tony.

"Are you guys out of your damn minds?!? What on earth motivated you to bring them along? Do you think this is a picnic? We sent you back to turn in a prisoner. Not bring back girls. This is an area that has murderers present if you had forgotten. You complete idiots!!" Callie stood up and got into his face.

"Hey, Frank! They didn't want to bring us. Take it easy on them and chill out!" Joe turned to Iola.

"I am actually glad to see you. I wish it were under more pleasant circumstances. But I know you can handle yourself." He looked up to Frank.

"Frank, mellow dude. Iola can be one insistent lady. Take it easy on Chet and Tony." Frank turned and shook his head. Bill stepped up with a smile.

"Hey guys. It's good to see you. There are killers here. But I know you have been around some pretty desperate criminals before. Just watch your backs, huh?" Frank turned to face them again. Then he looked at Callie.

"They have to go back. They can't stay here!" Callie took on a rather irritated look.

"Frank, I didn't just come through a damn storm with Iola just to have to turn around because you can't handle seeing me. Quit trying to pawn it off as we are some fragile women who can't handle ourselves when we have already proven countless times in the past that we are capable." she paused for a moment. "We need to talk. Is there a place??" she asked. Frank nodded.

"The rest of you take a load off. Have a drink." he motioned for Callie to follow him down to the river. Bill passed around the cooler. Tony looked at Joe who was presently nuzzling Iola's ear.

"Say Joe. What's with Frank? We expected a nagging reprimand at best for not consulting him before bringing them but he blew a gasket." Joe looked up slowly.

"Well, aside from being a stickler for procedure, Frank and Callie have been having a lot of differences lately. As some of you may have surmised they don't see as much of each other as once upon a time. I mean they are friend and all, but,, ah,,"

"Spill it Joe!" Chet prodded. Joe reluctantly continued.

"Well, I recently learned that Frank has been seeing this other girl. And even though Callie and he agreed to see other people some time back... Callie hasn't seen anyone else. What I am trying to say is that for at least the last six to eight months their relationship has been strictly platonic. At least, so it seems, their romantic relationship has ended from what I have gathered. Frank had recently informed me that this new woman does something for him that he can't exactly explain or at least wouldn't explain to me. But I suspect Frank has fallen full out for this woman. But from what I know he hasn't officially cut Callie loose or at least not had the guts to tell her."

"Who is she?" Bill asked. "Or has Frank not let you in on that one?" Joe looked up slowly.

"Well, I did learn her name rather recently. He confided it in me. I am hesitant though to..." Chet looked impetuous.

"Joe. Why are you hesitant? Tell us who Frank has been seeing at the cost of Callie's dignity." Joe closed his eyes slowly.

"It's Tiffany, Chet. Tiffany Blake." Chet looked stunned for a moment, then he relaxed his expression. He took a breath and even forced a smile.

"Well, not like I didn't tell her to go find a new playmate. Joe, it's ok. Tiffany and I weren't ever exclusive much to the shock of some people who assumed we were." Joe relaxed a little.

"Well, if it helps they have only been seeing each other a couple months or so to my knowledge." Chet nodded.

"I knew she acted a bit different. But I had openly suggested for several weeks that she go find someone else. You see, Tiffany and I didn't really get along half the time. She was wanting to date me a whole lot more than I wanted to date her. Simply put I was never in love with her. So this new information doesn't really upset me. I am a bit upset that Frank couldn't own up to it, but I guess he was confused or something." Iola came over to him and put an arm around him.

"Are you sure your ok?" she asked with concern. Chet nodded.

"Yeah sis. Tiffany is no huge loss as far as I am concerned. I should even thank Frank for his involvement. Does Callie know about this?" Joe shook his head.

"She may suspect he is seeing someone but he had never told her." Chet looked down in the direction of the river.

"Well, we can hope he is doing that now." he said.

Down by the river, Callie and Frank were sitting on a fallen tree. Callie looked pissed.

"Ok Frank.. What's this crap abut sending us back and why did you bite Chet and Tony's head off?" Frank looked at her then up.

"I'm sorry Callie. I didn't mean it. But I am sure it probably isn't a shock to you but I have started seeing someone else." Callie looked to him then down.

"Well, I figured as much. What I guess I didn't figure on was that I knew it was a strong likelihood , but it didn't seem to bother me. Or motivate me to question you sooner about it or even act like a jealous woman. I guess I just didn't really care. I hope that doesn't sound bad. But we have been drifting apart for months if not over a whole year. And before you ask, no I am not seeing anyone else." Frank took a breath. He hadn't expected Callie to have this position. He shrugged.

"Then I guess there isn't much left to do but..." Callie looked down at him.

"Save the congenial dump Frank. I dumped you in my mind for all romantic purposes a long time ago. I did respect you as a friend and someone I could trust. But you drop this on me like it's supposed to be a bomb. May I ask who you are seeing?" she asked. Frank, again taken aback took a breath.

"I am seeing Tiffany Blake, Cal." Callie's eyebrows raised.

"You are seeing Chet's girlfriend?? Isn't that a bit slimy of you?" she asked somewhat taken back herself. Frank shook his head.

"They were never exclusive. That was an assumption and more based in rumor. Tiffany was quite smitten with Chet but Chet would generally keep her at arm's length most of the time if not outright encourage her to go shopping for men elsewhere." Callie looked perplexed but nodded.

"I know they weren't madly in love but I thought there was more to it. So I suppose I figured wrong. Which I guess will make it easier on him when he knows. Your quite a card though Frank. Dating a woman that many consider to be connected with another man." Frank threw his hands up.

"I am not saying I did any of this right. We just happened to have met once and..."

"She needed a shoulder to cry on because Chet wasn't falling hook, line and sinker for her little routine. You know, batting the eyes and sticking those silicone guns out like they were a national treasure. She is a superficial woman Frank. Chet apparently knew it. But she comes to see you and before ya know it she is turning the waterworks on and you were happy to pat her on the back while she sobbed." Frank looked down at her.

"You speak like a jealous ex." Callie snorted at this.

"Don't confuse jealous with my concern for Chet who apparently got the shaft. I can only thank God he wasn't in love with her. Or I guess I should say more accurately I hope he isn't in love with her. Who is to really say? Until I hear the consensus confirmed by the horse's mouth I am not sure. But I am not jealous of her. I really wanted to end this thing with you in a mature manner because you seemed to be dragging it out just on the off chance that you and she didn't work out. I didn't care about that. I just wanted out. Even if you hadn't been dating another woman." She took a breath and looked up to the dark sky. She calmed herself. "Once upon a time I was very much in love with you. And those things don't pass lightly. Not in my world. It took most of this last year for me to get over our romance. It lasted a long time but it's over and I am content with that. I do wish you the best, Frank. I am ready to move on and not just hang around so you can throw more curve balls or to feel that I am unworthy of anyone else. Because you know what, Frank?? You did make me feel that way. I still feel that way. Unworthy. I don't know, maybe it's just that every other man in our little clique over the years has had enough respect for you that to approach me. Who knows? But I have gone through a lot of inner searching the last year. My mind and my eyes have wondered well beyond the realm that you would have probably preferred." Frank cleared his throat. His now former love had found her voice. This meek, once librarian type of girl he met so many years ago had turned into a woman of some determination. Frank had not really noticed that in her before. Perhaps he didn't want to. As much as it hurt him to admit that he thought it true.

"Well, Call. I guess this is it then. I am in my place. I respect your words and your position. All I can really do is hope we can be friends and wish you the best." he said. Frank had thought, all along that he would be the one that would have initiated any dump between the two. He was indeed surprised that Callie had made the move to do so. And had apparently been preparing herself to do it for some time. Callie gave him a half smile.

"You are a good man Frank. I just don't suspect that we area good couple any longer. We want different things. I want a child and to be married. Joe and Iola are on the verge of marriage and haven't been afraid to approach that issue. You seem to want to roam the globe on your never ending job and have a woman who will stay at home and surrender her inner being for you. I didn't go to college and major in criminology just to be with you. It was something I believed in. I want to be a wife and a mother but I also want a career. The very fact that you still think a woman in an environment like this is out of her place is so backdated it isn't even funny. You are basically admitting you find women inferior in this type of situation. Despite the fact I have proven myself worthy of being respected in this field. The point is Frank that I never felt equal to you. You often made me feel like I was a lessor person who shouldn't have such goal in life other than cranking out babies and making dinner for my man. Not that the role of the average wife and homemaker isn't worthy of respect. It's simply that many women these days want more. And they deserve it. If they want to be housewives that is great. I admire any woman who wants that. I want more than that. If I want to go trot the globe on a case I am going to do that. But you wouldn't have liked that. I mean for your significant other, would you?" she asked. Her eyes cut through him with precision as he knew he couldn't evade the answer. Frank slowly shook his head.

"Probably not. I couldn't stand to see a loved one in harm's way so much..."

"Stop that crap Frank. There is something wrong with that theory. One your dad and your brother are constantly matching wits with some of the true scum of earth. One what grounds do you base you choice to allow the beloved males in your family and not the female members to involve themselves with criminals? Even your own father has more an open mind, Frank. But this is not the only reason I have found it necessary to finally use my words and express how I really feel. I want out Frank. I don't want to screw around with a failing relationship anymore. And I certainly don't want to sit around and wait for you to come crawling back after you find that even Tiffany wants a life. Maybe she will. Maybe she won't. All I know is I have been building up to this for nearly a year and now is the time. I want more out of my life and a relationship. A relationship that I will find respect in all areas." she sat down and looked down to the ground. Frank took a breath.

"Well. I guess that puts the lid on it. If you ever need to talk or anything in the future I hope you know you can come to me. I do consider you a friend." Callie nodded slowly.

"Thanks. I appreciate that. Good luck to you. I mean that." she said softly. She had prepared herself for so long for this moment. It came but yet she still felt a bit of emptiness over it. Perhaps apprehension of the future. Frank got up.

"Guess I will set matters straight with the others. I'd hate any other misinformation to spread about." Callie nodded. Frank walked slowly back up towards camp. He walked over to the fire to find all eyes focused on him. He sat down and poured some coffee. Everyone still kept their eyes glued to him. Frank cleared his throat.

"Well, for any of you who may not have suspected it Callie and I have officially separated. We have been separate in many forms for much longer. But it is officially over." Iola got up.

"I'd better go check on her." she said rushing down towards the river. Frank looked awkwardly at Chet.

"Uhm, Chet. I do need to tell you something..." Chet held up a hand.

"No need Frank. I have been apprised of you and Tiffany. I am hoping you and she will be happy. I honestly have no regrets." he said. Frank looked up slowly to him.

"Still friends?" he asked. Chet rolled his eyes.

"Stupid question, Frank. Which reminds me of the case at hand. The guy we turned in was named Jake Steed. Previous convictions for hijacking down in Florida. Our computer spits a zero on him, but your dad's computer brings him up under a secure code blue file." The last three words made Frank and Joe immediately alert.


	9. Chapter 9

"Code Blue?" Joe repeated. "That's the second highest security code on Dad's computer." Chet nodded knowingly.

"Yep. And of course it's not accessible. Your mom says he is still in western Pennsylvania. On a hijacking case." he said. Frank looked up.

"Think there's a connection?" he asked. Chet shrugged.

"We can't afford to rule anything out. Keep our minds open on this. So how have you guys faired over the last day? Find anything?" he asked. Frank shook his head negatively.

"This place is huge, man. We could search another four days and still not cover it all." he said with a yawn.

"So obviously the searching will continue?" chet inquired. Frank nodded. Joe perked up.

"We could cut down on time if we broke into teams and blanketed the hollow with a larger sweep." he said. Frank and Chet nodded that this would be a wise plan. Frank looked at his watch. The drama took some time to unfold with Callie it seemed. It was approaching four. He looked to the others.

"Well Chet, how about some breakfast. If we fill ourselves then get an early start we could cover some major distance." Chet nodded.

"Cool. Say Tony, wanna give me a hand?" Frank gave them an awkward smile.

"Chet, Tony. I am sorry I went off on you like that. Really." Chet smiled and slapped Frank on the shoulder.

"Your forgiven Frank. I had no idea we would be bringing salt to the wound. But think of the bright side. You may have lost Callie, but you get Tiffany. She's a hell of a gal. you will enjoy her." he smiled. Frank grinned as this seemed too easy to him. He had expected Chet to be a bit irritated to say the least. He figured ultimately that the Chet and Tiffany relationship had been bloated from the start. Chet had not made a secret of turning down Tiffany's advances more times than not. He would have hated for this to occur had Chet and Tiffany been truly connected more than they apparently were.

A few minutes later Callie and Iola walked up the trail from the river. Iola looked to her friend.

"You are going to be alright?" She asked. Callie gave a smile.

"Of course girl. Now you go to Joe. You be with him. Your taking marriage. Don't let me driving the final nail in the coffin dampen your happiness. I promise you this has been over for a long time. Now I feel free." She said without any sign of regret. Iola smiled. She went off to find Joe. Callie saw Frank and Bill talking. She felt slightly out of place and walked over to the fire where Chet was building the fire back up. She sat down and looked at him.

"Hi Chet. How are you doing?" she asked with great sympathy. She was not at all approving of how Frank started his relationship with Tiffany. Without giving Chet a heads up. Chet looked at her with a smile.

"Ok, Cal. I am sorry to hear about you and Frank." Callie shrugged it off.

"Was a long time coming Chet. It was in stone a year ago if that gives you any indication. But I am sorry to hear about you and Tiffany. I thought you two were getting along good." Chet waved his hand.

"Frank actually did me a favor distracting her. She is high maintenance and our personalities don't mesh well. Now maybe she will get the point." Callie raised an eyebrow.

"I'm glad to hear that, Chet. I would have hated for Frank to move in on a good relationship you had going." she looked at him making heating a pot. "I hope that's coffee your making. I could sure use some." Chet smiled.

"I think that will go all around since we are going to head up a search this morning. I am going to fix us some breakfast and I guess we will be hitting the trail." A moment later he had coffee brewing and poured Callie a cup. He handed it to her. Callie smiled to him.

"Thanks Chet. You're a sweety." she said. Chet smiled and he and Tony returned to cooking breakfast. They soon had a meal prepared. They started handing out plates of steak and eggs. Bill smiled gratefully and went to work. He smiled to Chet.

"Glad your back, Chet. No one can cook like you!" he said with a smile. Chet laughed.

"One of my few positive attributes." he smiled. Joe looked up to the group.

"Now then. It would be a good idea on this search to break into groups. I suggest three. One for the center. One for the North, and one for south. We do sweeps about two miles between each group. If we go from one end to the hollow edge on foot it could take two or more days. We can keep in touch by hand radio and radio on the boats. As far as groups I think the Frank, Bill and Tony take the north slot. That's where we are now. Iola and I take the center and Chet and Callie take the south." Frank smiled.

"Works for me. We'll start in half an hour." he said. The group finished eating and then began to pack supplies. Joe brought a radio over to Frank.

"Here's the other handheld. We will use the standard three frequencies." Frank nodded.

"Cool. We are ready here." he said standing with Tony and Bill. Joe nodded.

"We are out of here too." he said taking a bag and the keys to the smaller boat. They said their goodbyes and headed down for the river and departed. Frank helped Chet and Callie with an extra bag of supplies. He walked with them to the boat. Chet helped Callie in. Frank smiled tightly.

"You got everything you need?" he asked them. Callie gave a distant smile.

"Got everything I need." she said somewhat smugly but not without betraying her front a little. She felt the reality hit. Frank smiled to them.

"Chet, take care of her. She's special." Chet smiled.

"That she is Frank. She's in good hands." Frank nodded.

"Good luck." he aid weekly. He started walking slowly up the trail. Callie took a breath.

"I think it just hit. Freedom that is." Chet looked at her feeling somewhat out of place.

"Freedom, Cal? Really that bad... or good?" Callie took an even deeper breath and smiled.

"Yeah. Yes! It felt damn good giving him his walking papers or beating him to the chase. I think he thought he was going to have a shaking vulnerable woman screaming No to him." Chet looked quietly at her.

"I could sense in recent times you guys weren't especially happy." she smiled to him.

"Not really. He wanted his cake and he also wanted to eat it. But if it's just the same to you he is my past. So sympathies are not necessary. Though if I do seem a bit shaky or vulnerable you won't hold it against me." Chet smiled.

"Never Cal. And I've known you longer than even Frank. So you know my word is good." She nodded.

"Very true. You have always been a man of conviction and your word." she said. Chet smiled and turned the motors over. He guided the craft back down river and sent the boat down at a good clip.

"How far do we go before we tie up?" Callie asked. Chet looked down at the GPS map.

"Should be about ten miles maybe twelve. I think Joe will stop around seven or eight. Frank will walk a bit farther south before heading west."

"As much as hiking isn't my favorite past time, I will be glad to get out of this boat and get on my feet for awhile." she said.

"It will be fun," Chet said. Being able to do some work without a wise ass quip from one of the guys. That's one thing I like about you Cal. You never made fun of me over the years. We had a certain mutual respect for each other for some reason." Callie smiled.

"I know. You could have had one on me a thousand times but you never did. That means a lot."

The two found a cove when they reached eleven miles down river. They alighted and chet handed Callie the backpacks. He also handed her a rifle. She took it.

"I already have that PPK Chet, why the rifle?" she asked. Chet looked around the woods.

"There are a wide variety of wildlife around here that a pistol shot would simply irritate. The rifle is just a safety measure." Callie nodded and took it. Chet covered the boat up and they put on their packs. Chet removed compass from the pack. They started their trek west. The morning wore on though the light barely came through the dense tree umbrella. Hiking was slow as much of the hollow was dense with brush and woodland. By noon they stopped for some coffee and to rest for a bit. Chet began to gather wood for a fire to make coffee. After doing this he cleared a spot for a fire. Within a few minutes he had one going and started going through the pack for the coffee and pot.

"Let me." Callie volunteered. "I feel a bit useless." he said absently. Chet handed her the pot and looked at her.

"Don't ever call yourself that. Your so much more." he said without thought of how it might come off. Callie looked into his eyes with a certain look. A look that Chet hadn't been aware of in the past. She smiled. A moment later the radio crackled. Chet cleared his throat.

"I, uhm, had better get that." he said scooping up the hand radio.

"Morton and Shaw expeditions." he said. It was Joe.

"Hey Chet. Have you found anything?"

"No, Dude. Not a thing. Yourself?"

"Haven't seen a thing, though truth be told I have my eyes on Iola more than the ground." Chet gave a chuckle.

"Well, I can understand. My sister is quite a looker. Have you heard from Frank?"

"No, but you know him. Not one to use the radio unless he deems it necessary. "

"Yeah, I know. This place is huge though. Could take a few days to search it."

"Yeah, I know. But anyway, I will get back in touch with you tonight. Be careful out there." Chet smiled.

"Will do. Over and out." he said and put the radio down. He turned to Callie.

"How's the coffee goin?" he asked. Callie smiled.

"Just about done." she said. Chet sat down. A moment late Callie poured him some coffee.

"There you go Chet. Two sugars." Chet smiled.

"You remembered. Thanks Cal." he said taking the cup. He took a drink.

"This can get pretty boring. The next thing you know your knee deep in trouble. I hope we find something though. I am worried about this man who was kidnaped." Chet nodded.

"We are pretty stumped. We thought when the others got snagged that they would have met up with the captain, but no such luck.." He took another drink and finally finished his cup. He looked at his watch.

"Well, are ya ready, Cal?" he asked. She smiled. Somewhat lost in thought.

"Ready and willing." she said getting up. Chet doused the fire with the remaining coffee and put the pot away. They put their packs back on and continued their journey west. None of the terrain they were going through gave any indication that anyone had walked there in the past days, much less months. Chet took a breath as they continued on. Callie looked to him. She could tell Chet was wearing down a bit. As she was herself. Neither had had any sleep the previous night, obviously.

"You alright, Chet?" she asked. "You look tired."

"And sore." he said taking a moment to rub his side. "Not used to these hikes with a ton of baggage though the brush. Plus not having any sleep hasn't helped." She smiled sympathetically to him.

"It does seem Frank wanted to get right to a search, didn't he? I was hoping for some rest." she said. Chet nodded.

"Would have been nice." he said as they walked along.

By evening they were feeling exhausted and with darkness settling in Chet found it futile to keep hunting for clues to the missing captain. They came to a clearing. Chet exhaled and put his pack down.

"Don't know about you, Cal. But I could use some rest. I know we could keep going for a couple more hours, but I don't think we will find anything in the dark. How about camping for the night?" Callie smiled broadly.

"I'm all for that. Let me help you with that tent." she said as Chet had already begun pulling the tent out when Callie indicated she was ready to stop. Within ten minutes they had the tent up. Chet gathered some firewood.

"I have a couple steaks left and they should be still cold packed and able to eat." Callie smiled.

"Sounds great." she said taking out a grille to place over the fire. "Like a Corona Chet?" she asked as she opened the cooler.

"Sounds great." he called over. He soon returned with an armload of wood.

"Getting chilly. We will need to keep the fire going." he observed as a light breeze blew through the trees. Callie handed Chet the Corona.

"Gonna have to rough it. No limes." she said. Chet shrugged and took a drink.

"Not the same but it'll do." he said. Callie set out to prepare the dinner insisting that Chet rest. He pulled his pack over to where he was seated.

"Think I will call in." he said. Callie nodded.

"Good idea. It probably slipped Joe's mind." she said. Chet signaled Joe's handheld and waited. He signaled again. A few moments later Joe's voice came over the radio.

"This is Joe. Who's bad timing is this? He asked. Chet half smiled.

"This is Chet. What's up?" he asked. He heard Iola giggle profusely in the background.

"You don't want to know." she giggled before a muffled sound, probably Joe's hand covering the radio. His voice returned.

"Uhm, nothing much Chet. We have put up camp and have eaten, and well, were resting." Chet and Callie heard another shriek of laughter from Iola in the background. "By the way, Chet. Thanks for slipping that bottle of wine in our boat this morning. It occurred to me that you probably had a hand in that." Chet smiled.

"No problem Joe. Just keep in mind that is pretty pricey stuff so don't come asking for the only other bottle I have, which is in my pack. But I am sure you have put that one to good use... by the sounds of it." Joe laughed.

"Thanks again Chet. Frank called and said nothing on his end. Maybe tomorrow. So anyway, we will call in the morning. Have a good night." Chet smiled.

"Easy for you to say. Night you guys." he said and signed off. He looked at Callie.

"Sounds like they are having fun." he said with a smile. Callie shook her head grinning.

"You could say that. Sounds like Iola is blustered." she said. Chet sat back chuckling while Callie finished dinner. Soon she had grilled the steak and had them served. Chet smiled.

"Can't tell you what a treat this is. I am usually the appointed cooks on cases like this which take us into the woods or other area where more conventional dining is unavailable. Thanks a lot Cal." he said eating heartily. Callie and Chet finished eating. Chet took out a portable radio that played CDs. He smiled to Callie.

"Figure you might want a little music while you wind down. Any of the CDs you have. I am an open minded guy." Callie smiled.

"Thanks Chet. That's considerate of you." she said and dug through her pack. She again chose the Sarah Mclachlan CD. She turned it on and took a breath. She sat with her back against a dead tree. She looked up.

"Say Chet. Do you really have a nice bottle of wine in your bag?" she asked. Chet looked over to her. He shrugged.

"Yes." he said. Callie felt a bit out of place in her thoughts. She wasn't sure if he would feel offended by her asking for some wine. He could be saving it for a special occasion. Or simply not want to share it with her.

"Do, uhm, you want to have some?" she asked. "If you don't that's ok. I don't want to ask you to blow a good bottle of wine here and on me." Chet raised an eyebrow.

"Sure Callie. I'd be honored to have a glass with you. Or a cup as the case may be." Callie smiled.

"Great." she said. Chet smiled and took the bottle out of his pack and took out his Suisse Army knife. He removed the cork and took out a couple tin cups.

"Sorry I don't have any actual glasses here, but I'm sure the bouquet will more than make up for that." he said pouring the wine. Callie smiled to him as he handed her the cup.

"Thank you, sir." Chet smiled.

"Sir, how formal." he said with a chuckle. "Weren't we skinny dipping in the lake in third grade? I'm guessing by such an event we have long dispensed with the formalities." Callie laughed.

"You remember those days, huh? Hehehe... pretty embarrassing when I think about it." Chet laughed.

"Why is that. We were kids. I doubt we were checking each other out then." Callie nodded.

"True. But still it goes back to my mind to think that there was a time you saw me in a less inhibited way." she bent over to put her cup by the fire. "Ouch. Damn!" she uttered. Chet looked over.

"You ok, Cal?" he asked. She smiled through a slight pain.

"Yeah. Just same as you. A bit of a back strain." Chet took another drink of wine. He walked over and say beside her.

"Ok, Cal. Let my fingers go to work. Upper or lower back? I mean if you aren't uncomfortable with me rubbing your back." Callie smiled and took a breath. The song Angel started playing. She looked at him.

"Not uncomfortable at all. Upper back mostly." she said softly. She turned away from Chet so her back was in front of him. Chet began to firmly massage Callie's shoulders and upper back. Chet rubbed stiffly against her back. She felt tense. Probably a combination of the long walk and her emotionally draining final round with Frank. He continued working the tense muscles in her shoulder. She moaned softly.

"That feels so good Chet. You are so sweet." She took another drink. " I am so tense. It always happens when I overdo it." Chet smiled.

"Least I can do Cal." he said. Though he felt somewhat distracted. Maybe it was her occasional moan or the faint smell of her perfume. Or maybe the numerous times over the years that he had the occasional thought of what it would be like to date Callie. He shook the feeling off and continued massaging her back. A few moments later she held up a hand.

"Hold on a sec. This sweater is wool and scratching me a bit." She looked over her shoulder. She hoped she wouldn't offend him. She pulled her sweater over her head and tossed it to the side. She took a breath as the cold air touched her skin.

"Ah, that's better. Will that help?" she asked. Chet gulped. He hadn't thought she would do that. He took a breath.

"Uhm, sure. No more wool." he said. His hands levitated over her soft skin for several moments. Her skin was lightly tanned. Outside of a very skimpy black satin bra she was topless. Chet was thankful it was dark and he only had a view from the rear. His hands slowly lowered onto her back. She flinched slightly and purred when he began massaging her lower back. This seemed to go on for a long time. He stopped for a moment to take a drink.

"Mmmm, that feels so good. Please don't stop." she said quietly. Her head tilted back. The music continued... _'From the arms of the Angel...far away from here...from this dark, cold hotel room...and the endlessness that you fear...you were pulled from the wreckage...'_ He closed his eyes and continued. He didn't know what was wrong with him. Feeling her soft skin. The smell he had known before but it had never affected him this way. He had always found Callie an attractive woman. But he had always figured she never had even as much as a passing thought of him in that way. He looked at her back and neck. He had not seen her like this in nearly twenty years. And obviously at that time he was not having these kind of thoughts of her. He ran his hands down her arms and massaged them lightly. But he hadn't been that light. When he slowly brought his hands up from her lower arms his hands briefly touched the outline of her breasts. His heart skipped a beat and he swallowed hard.

"Sorry Cal." he said returning his hands to her back.

"Don't be." she said softly. He smiled slightly and rubbed her lower back. Her lower back was quite sexy Chet thought. But again he wondered why he had these thoughts. She let her head hang down a bit as the music continued.

_'In the arms of the angel, may you fiiiiind some comfort here. Your in the arms of the angel... may you fiiiiiiiind some comfort here...'_

Chet's heart was racing. Between the music, and having, in his opinion, one of the most beautiful women he had ever known in front of him, he felt himself wanting to be close to her. This was something well beyond any hormonal impulse though. Callie had always been there, well as a friend. They had always respected each other and got along so well. Chet had always kept his distance when he had a passing thought of Callie in a more romantic way. His respect for Frank and the relationship he had with Callie was more important than any impulse he ever had. But now Frank was not in the picture. Was it alright for him to have those feelings now? Not just romantic thoughts. Thoughts Chet had felt that he and Callie may be very good together since they had always been open and unpretentious with each other. They had never had need or motivation for being anything but straight. Chet closed his eyes. He was close to her. He liked the feeling, but was unsure if proceeding with any attempt at letting his feelings known would be wise.

He took a deep breath, and ran his hands down her arms again. This time he placed them over hers. She took one of her hands and ran it up along his muscular arm. The touch of her fingertips sent an electricity through him. His face hovered inches from her neck. She ran her hand firmly back down his arm feeling his strength. His chest was now touching her back. Her eyes were still closed. Her hand on his. Chet took a breath, and looked at her beautiful silhouette in the moonlight. He lowered his face to her neck, closing his eyes, he gently kissed her neck. She moaned softly. He saw a smile crease her face. She slowly turned to face him. Chet, not sure if he had stepped out of line or not, looked at her somewhat apprehensively. She smiled to him. She took his hand in hers.

"Was that kiss part of the massage?" she asked softly. Chet stammered a little bit unsure what to say.

"I,,, I guess that depends if it offended you or not." he said finding his voice back. She smiled.

"Certainly not. I liked it. Though I do kind of hope it wasn't done out of pity." Chet's eyes widened a bit. Apparently Callie had a moment of feeling unappealing. He smiled in spite of his intense nervousness.

"Certainly not pity, Cal. I'd say motivated by desire." Callie looked down with a smile. It was hard for him to tell but she was apparently blushing. She looked up with a smile.

"In that case, you won't mind if I get a little motivated by desire." she said leaning over and kissing him on the lips. She wrapped her arms around him and they kissed deeply for what seemed like several minutes. Chet looked into her eyes.

"Do you know how many years I have waited for that to happen?" he asked softly. She shook her head.

"No, but if it's as long as I have thought about doing it then we have apparently wasted a lot of time in our lives." They kissed again. Chet looked at her again. He seemed a little hesitant. She sensed this.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Chet looked from side to side and picked his words carefully.

"I just want to make sure... You aren't rebounding here or just lonely?" She slowly shook her head.

"No Chet. I have been over him for a long time now. Over a year. We just never officially cut the string until now. But we have had over a year to overcome the impulsiveness that might create such a rebound. I can promise you that I have wanted this for some time. I had often wondered what it would have been like to date you back in high school. Not that I wasn't dedicated to Frank. But as you know we didn't always get along perfectly. People have thoughts I guess. So, no, I'm not on the rebound. I was the one who officially wrapped up the big loose end with Frank. And I know that you were never in love with Tiffany." Chet looked down.

"How did you figure it out?" he asked. Callie blinked her eyes slowly, knowingly.

"How long have we known each other? Almost twenty years? I knew. I knew she was after you a whole lot more than you may have been inclined to encourage her." Chet nodded.

"It's true. Frank was apologizing to me this morning. I wanted to kiss him and thank him." Callie giggled at this statement.

"Guess we both got one over on him." Chet smiled.

"I think so. Though I do wish him the best with her." he said.

"So..." Callie started. She looked deeply into his eyes. "Where does that leave us?" Chet smiled.

"Well, I think we have some lost time to make up." he said softly. Callie nodded with a smile. She reached for her hair, which was tied to let it down. It was then that Chet realized again that Callie was pretty much topless. He coughed awkwardly as she undid her hair. He tried to divert his gaze. Callie noticed this and giggled a bit. Chet looked up meekly with a slight smile.

"What?" he asked almost fearfully. He had found himself feeling a little embarrassed for being so blunt as to stare at her chest. Callie looked down with a gentle smile.

"Chet." she whispered.

"Yes?" he said. She looked at him realizing he was clearly feeling bad for having looked.

"It's ok for you to look. I'd feel bad if you didn't want to." she said.

"Oh, I want... I mean I didn't want you to think I was just doing it because you were beautiful..." Callie smiled to him.

"You really mean that, don't you?" she asked. Chet nodded slowly.

"Of course. I have always thought you were stunning." he said. Now it was Callie's turn to turn a little red. She smiled as a tear fell. She took a breath.

"You know in all the years Frank and I dated he never called me stunning. I hadn't even rated a beautiful or attractive in what seems like a couple years. Don't misunderstand... I am not an egotist. I don't need to be fed compliments. It's just kind of nice to hear one. A real one. Thank you." she said. Chet shrugged and smiled.

"Seemed pretty natural to me. Nothing forced I assure you." he said. Callie took a breath. Then looked at Chet.

"Chet. I am very attracted to you. Even when I was with Frank there were times I thought of you. You have always been so sweet and kind and respectful to me."

"What are you trying to say, Cal?" he asked. Callie made a face and looked down.

"I'm not easy, Chet. But..." Chet smiled.

"But... what?" he asked gently. She gave a half smile. She was searching for words he could tell.

"But, I really want to be with you. It's just, well, Frank has been the only guy I have ever been with. And well, let's just say he was less than a creative lover. And well, I just wouldn't want to disappoint you." Chet looked wide eyed.

"Uhm, Cal. I don't think that is humanly possible. And don't judge your abilities to be a good lover based on the fact you have only been with Frank. I mean a lot of things come natural. You just have to do what you feel you want. What is natural and what works for you. Don't build up or make expectations of yourself or others. Making love shouldn't be a massively laid out plan. It should just happen and let it carry itself where it will. If you get too carried away with the expectations or thoughts about it you tend to inhibit yourself to a point where it isn't a free expression of yourself or your love." Callie smiled then looked deeply into his eyes. She leaned over again and they kissed. Chet started to softly kiss the nape of her neck. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She stood up. Chet sat back feeling somewhat alarmed.

"I'm sorry Cal, did I do something wro..." Callie smiled down to him.

"No. I was just thinking that it may be more comfortable in the tent." she said softly. Chet coughed abruptly. He hadn't expected her to say this.

"Uhm, yeah. But are you sure you..." He started. Callie looked down at him.

"Chet, are you doing exactly what you just said I shouldn't do?" Chet started to speak. Callie stopped him by holding a finger to her lips. She looked down at him. She smiled.

"You were checking these out earlier?" she said motioning to her ample bosom. Chet sheepishly smiled in spite of the awkwardness of the direct question. Before he could speak she again held her finger up. She looked down at him. She now had a somewhat wicked grin on her face. Chet raised an eyebrow. Callie unfastened her bra, letter her breasts fall unrestrained. Chet did his best not to look until Callie cleared her throat.

"Chet, what did I say earlier??" he looked up with a smile, but still red faced.

"It's ok Chet." she laughed. She felt the cold air hit her chest then looked down to Chet. "But, no jokes about how nipply it is out, or we will have words." she laughed. Chet was still somewhat frozen, but had to laugh at this comment. Callie still smiling shook her head. She took a breath. She undid her belt and slowly undid the button fly on her 501s. She stepped out of them. Chet was still not moving. He was too in shock. She looked down at him. She raised her eyebrows.

"Chet, hun, are you going to join me? Because if you don't touch me soon I am going to start thinking you don't want to." Chet slowly rose to his feet. He was breathing hard. Callie had overloaded his system. He stepped in front of her.

"I just don't want you to think I am just after a roll in..." Callie smiled in spite of the vulnerability she was feeling standing in front of him for the first time in such a way.

"Chet, you have been a perfect gentleman. I know you aren't trying to take advantage. But I just listened to what you said about doing what you feel. I want to go into that tent and I want to make love. If we are on the same page then let me know." Chet put his arms around her and kissed her in a way a man would kiss a woman that he had been in love with for years. His hands felt the warmth of her body. He looked into her eyes.

"I want you too. More than anything I have ever wanted." They kissed again. Chet looked down and found her hard nipples pressed into him. He took a breath and stepped back and started undressing. Callie smiled. She bent over and picked up the bottle of wine slowly. Chet had a feeling she did this for torture.

"Oh my, Cal. That isn't playing fair." he said as she took the bottle and ran for the tent. Chet followed without hesitation.


	10. Chapter 10

By 10:00 the next morning Joe and Iola were walking through the woods in the direction of Chet and Callie's campsite. Fortunately each radio had the ability to send a GPS signal which could be tracked by the other, if, of course they had the frequency. All morning Joe had tried to raise Chet on the radio and hadn't received an answer. Frank had woke Joe up at six that morning saying they had discovered something important and asked the others join him immediately. Iola looked to Joe as they walked.

"Do you suppose they got hurt? Or worse? Maybe they were captured." Joe shook his head. He was clearly worried.

"I don't know. I tried to reach him on the radio ten times. It's not like Chet to not keep radio contact. Their boat is still on the river." he looked down to the monitor on the radio. "According to this we should be coming up on them, or at least the radio soon." he said. They scanned the terrain as they walked briskly through the hollow. Ten minutes later Iola pointed over to a clearing about three hundred yards away.

"Joe, look! Is that their camp??" she asked. Joe sped up to a run. He looked over his shoulder.

"Only one way to find out." he called running ahead of Iola. He ran over through the clearing and came upon their tent. He sighed in relief when he heard the steady sound of breathing coming from within the tent. He opened the flap and peered in. His eyes widened and he fell back. Iola came running up.

"Joe, honey, what's the matter? You fell back. Did you trip?" Joe sat there a moment with a perplexed look on his face. He just made a gesture to the tent. Iola's eyes widened fearing that Joe had been shocked by seeing a horrific sight. She immediately feared the worst. That her brother and best friend had been badly hurt or worse. She turned and peered into the tent. She gasped and almost lost her balance and turned to face Joe.

"Oh my god! They fell asleep together... nude...and judging by their position...oh my god!" Joe too was in shock. He tried to shake it off.

"I had no idea they were attracted to each other." he said. Iola sat down next to him.

"I know there were occasions now and then that Callie had talked to me about Chet. But it was more like just girl talk. Curiosity and seemed so long ago. You don't suppose this is some kind of rebound thing?" Joe shook his head.

"Not for Chet anyway. He was never in love with Tiffany and had often spoke of her as an annoyance who often wouldn't take a hint." Iola nodded.

"And Callie has been separated from Frank in the romantic sense well over a year now. Well, I guess that's good then. I'd hate to think it was a rebound reflex of any kind. Besides, it's not Callie's nature. Frank has been her only lover." she looked slowly towards the tent, "uhm, until now that is. But this is amazing." Joe shook his head. Still amazed. A moment later his radio buzzed. Joe picked it up.

"Joe here." he said. It was Frank.

"And where is here, Joe? I thought you'd be HERE by now."

"We had to track down Chet and Callie."

"Well, did you find them?" he asked somewhat annoyed. Joe coughed.

"Oh yeah. They are sleeping."

"They're what?!?" he heard a scream through the radio. "Then get them up. And get back to the coordinates I gave you and track me. I am here with Tony and Bill and we are keeping watch. Get over here."

"Yeah, ok. We will." joe said.

"And you tell Chet not to eat such a big meal before bed and he wouldn't oversleep."

"Er, yeah. I will tell him that. See you in a bit. Over and out." he said signing off. Iola looked to him.

"Why didn't you tell him?" she asked. Joe raised an eyebrow and gave a chuckle.

"Yeah. That would have been a sweet conversation... 'Yeah Frank. Sorry we aren't there yet, but we had to track down your ex girlfriend and best friend who failed to answer the radio because they were a little busy sleeping from an exhaustive night of lust.'" Joe smiled. "He'd love that." Iola smiled.

"Well, he might have to get used to the idea." she said. She looked at Joe.

"What do we do?" Joe shrugged.

"Well, they are adults. What they do is their own business. We may have to get used to it. Though I am a bit curious to know how this came about." Iola nodded. She smiled to herself. She was apparently blind to her best friend at times. To think Callie was obviously attracted enough to her brother for them to be intimate.

"I kind of would myself." she said. A moment later they heard some rustling sounds within the tent. Callie let out a flurry of giggling. Joe raised an eyebrow. He half smiled to Iola.

"I hope they aren't morning people. We could be in for some discomfort if they are." Iola smiled.

In the tent Callie and Chet were in an embrace. They kissed deeply. Callie smiled to him.

"Good morning my love. Did you sleep well?" Chet smiled back.

"Indeed I did. What little sleep was involved." Callie put her head on his chest.

"You were wonderful. I never knew it could be that good. I can't wait until tonight." she said raising an eyebrow significantly.

"Ah, but there are many hours until to..." he glanced down at his watch. "Oh no! I should have been on the radio to Joe about three and a half hours ago! He must be freaking. Come on, Angel. We need to get going." he said getting up and running for the opening.

"Ok." she said getting up and following Chet out of the tent. She ran directly into Chet who stopped in his tracks about five foot outside of the tent. Joe and Iola were sitting not six foot away sheepishly gazing up at the two unclothed lovers. They smiled and turned around.

"Morning Chet, Callie." Joe said over his shoulder. "Sorry to drop in on the camp uninvited, but when you didn't answer over ten radio calls we got a little worried." Chet and Callie looked up as they hurriedly dressed. Chet searched for words.

"Uhm, yeah, sorry Joe. I didn't hear the phone. And I know I should have called, but..." Chet and Callie heard Joe and Iola break out in to a torrent of laughter. Chet and Callie, now mostly dressed came over and sat across from Joe and Iola. Chet started to reignite the fire for coffee. Soon he had a blaze going. He looked to Callie.

"Could you put on some coffee, angel?" he asked. Callie smiled to him.

"Sure, hun." she said going about the task. Joe and Iola looked to the pair with a look that was questioning at the very least.

"So..." joe started. "How is everything?" he asked with a smile. Iola also couldn't keep a straight face. Callie looked over to Chet.

"You know Chet. I have a hunch that when our friend got here that they took a peek in the tent earlier." Joe held out his hand.

"Well, Cal. That was an indicator that something was up. Though even if we didn't look in and see you two asleep in the middle of some strange sexual position, I think when the two of you emerged from the tent buck naked, well, that would have given it away for me." Iola smiled.

"It's just Cal, that in all the years you two have known each other I never saw any serious attempt to act on anything. You guys just seemed more like brother and sister. I never dreamed this was going on." Callie held up a hand.

"Well, to start, this hasn't been going on long. About twelve hours to be exact." Joe's eyes widened.

"You mean, last night...?" Callie nodded.

"Yes, of course. Last night was the first time CHet and I ever seriously kissed, much less made love." she looked to Chet. "And I hope that is the first of many times." They kissed. Joe and Iola smiled and looked at each other.

"Well, I can get used to it." Joe said. Iola nodded.

"Well, it's a shock for sure. But I can certainly get used to it. I am quite happy for both of you. And well, Joe and I talked about it and ruled it out, but of course hearing it from the horse's mouth is always best. This isn't any type of rebound fling, is it?" she asked. Both Chet and Callie shook their heads.

"We ruled that one out ourselves." Chet said. "Definitely no rebounds going on. I was never into Tiffany that much to begin with a and as we all now know Callie and Frank have been separated in all romantic terms for well over a year."

"That's what we figured." Joe said. He took a breath and smiled. "Well, back to business. Frank called this morning. He has some news and wants us up north pronto." Chet nodded.

"Ok, we'll break camp here in ten minutes." he said. Joe smiled.

"Great. We'll help you break camp while you have a cup of coffee to get a kick start." Iola and Joe went about packing up the tent. After stowing it in a pack, Joe walked back across to the fire. He stopped short and looked down. He looked up sheepishly.

"Uhm, Iola, you might want to pick that up and give it to Callie." He said. Iola walked over and looked down. She rolled her eyes and picked up a black bra off the ground.

"It won't bite you Joe." she said teasingly. She walked over to Callie.

"Forget something Cal?" she asked with a grin. Callie looked down and smiled when Iola offered it back. She felt her chest briefly.

"God, I knew something was missing. Thanks." She said taking it. Iola smiled to her.

"Are you happy, Cal?" she asked. Callie nodded.

"Very much." she said with a content look.

"No rebound? I mean I couldn't stand to see Chet hurt is all." Callie looked down.

"Iola, let me tell you something. Ever since high school I have felt something for your brother. Usually it was just a passing thought as Frank and I were of course pretty happy then, but none the less I had those thoughts. I have dreamed of a relationship with your brother. That may blow you away but it's still the truth." Iola smiled and shook her head.

"Not really. Well, yes. Maybe. I mean I have seen the way you have looked at him before. I never really attributed anything to it but idle curiosity."

"It's not curiosity anymore. I am very happy and I would never do anything to hurt Chet. I hope we can have a lasting and growing relationship." Iola nodded seeing that some happiness had indeed returned to her best friends eyes. She had a look that had not been there in a long time.

Momentarily Joe and Chet joined them ready and packed.

"All set?" Chet asked them. Callie smiled taking her backpack.

"Yep. Let's do it." she said. They started their long trek back to the river. After a very long but brisk hike they made it to the river in four hours. Less than half the time they took to walk it the previous day. It had been quite a bit easier not having to go along slowly trying to find clues to the missing captain.

"Whew!" Chet gasped. "That was quite a walk." Joe smiled.

"Yeah, and Iola and I did it twice. We started out looking for you after you didn't answer your repeated six o'clock wake up call."

"I'm sorry about that, Joe." he said seriously. Joe smiled and shook his head.

"Chet, don't worry about it. We were just worried something happened to you. We should have not been so impulsive and waited till later in the morning and tried to call again. We didn't realize that you were simply trying to have a lost weekend." Chet helped Callie into the boat. Then got in himself. Joe and Iola got into the other boat. Joe looked over his shoulder to Chet.

"Follow us up." he said. Chet gave the thumbs up and started his motors. Callie took a seat next to him. Joe pulled the boat out of the cove and started up the river. He checked the GPS t make sure Frank's position was still confirmed. Iola looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"What do you think?" she asked simply.

"About what, babe?" Joe asked. Iola rolled her eyes.

"About, say when Frank finds out." she said. Joe shrugged.

"He's a big boy. Besides he is supposedly high on Tiffany. I suppose there will some initial tension, but he made his bed. I am not trying to discount that he dated her for a good ten years but hey, he is the one who went shopping for new tomatoes." Iola giggled.

"I wonder if he knows that those new tomatoes he got are not home grown." Joe had to chuckle.

"I don't know. But if he is aware he isn't sharing such data with me. Course Frank is kind of a sexual prude. But I'll leave it at that."

Meanwhile in Chet's boat, Callie was looking ahead to the other boat.

"They are talking about us. I can feel it." she said. Chet smiled to her.

"They are just a little in shock. I mean they saw you with Frank basically all of your dating life... and his for that matter. They will get used to it.." Callie looked worried.

"I hope. They just looked so freaked this morning. I know they tried to cover it up a bit with some humor but I could tell. There was shock there a bit." She turned to Chet.

"Chet, I need to know that you will be there. No matter what. In the face of no matter what our friends say or do. Can you promise me that?" Chet nodded and smiled.

"Of course, Angel. If our friends act bizarre too long I will just begin to wonder if they are our friends to begin with. I will always be there for you." he said. Callie smiled and put her arm around him and kissed him on the cheek.

They traveled along silently for some time as Joe led them up the river. Joe eventually found a small cove and Chet slowed to pull in behind him. Joe shut his motor off and helped Iola out. Chet also shut down and helped Callie unload the their packs. The four walked up off the bank.

"What do you think Frank has uncovered?" Chet asked. Joe shook his head.

"Hard to say. I know he wouldn't pull us off the search unless he found something reasonably significant." he said. Chet nodded knowingly. Joe pulled his hand held off his belt.

"Might as well let him in on our position." he said flipping the transponder.

"Frank, you out there? Come back..." he said. A moment later the radio crackled.

"This is Frank. Might that be you, Joe?" came a somewhat curt voice. Joe looked down at the radio with an agitated look.

"Yeah Frank. This is Joe. We just pulled into the cove and are about to take off on foot. Can we track you by your signal?"

"Sure can Joe. Will you be joining us today?" came the reply. Joe rolled his eyes.

"Yeah Frank. We thought we'd stop by. With any luck it should take only an hour if we go by your signal."

"How nice. See you soon! Over and out!" the signal fell silent. Joe gave a half smile and looked over to Iola, who raised an eyebrow.

"Sounds like your brother is in a bit of a snit." She commented. Joe smiled.

"I personally think he needs to get laid. I don't think he and Tiffany have gotten gown much to my knowledge."

"Too bad. So sad!" Callie laughed. The others smiled knowing that Callie had been suppressing herself while in her relationship with Frank and was entitled to such comments. The group took into the hollow. The hike was brisk but draining as they continued through the dense thickets. Forty five minutes later the shrubbery thinned and they progressed into a clearing. Joe checked the radio and looked up.

"They have to be around here somewhere. We are almost on top according to the signal." The group looked about. They soon came to an area of small hills so it was impossible to see very far ahead. A moment later Chet pointed ahead in the distance. Perched near the top of a knoll were Frank, Bill and Tony.

"There they are." Chet said. The group headed towards the knoll. The three saw the group appear as the crept up near the crest.

"How's it goin guys?" Tony asked. Joe smiled.

"It's goin. What you guys got?" he asked. Frank smiled.

"Looks like another cabin. Right against the wall of the hollow." Joe took out a pair of field glasses and crept up toward the crest with Frank. There was indeed another cabin. It looked similar to the last.

"Any activity?" Joe asked. Frank shook his head.

"None yet. But I didn't want to leave it for a minute as the last one turned out to be one of the entrances to their hideout. A shame they took explosives to the tunnel. But I would bet that this is a place to watch." Joe nodded.

"I'd have to agree. The last one had too much activity around it. This place should definitely stay under observation." Frank nodded his agreement.

"This may be a big break. We must k..." his voice trailed as he looked past Joe. His face fixed with a blank expression. Joe looked over his shoulder and saw what Frank's attention had been abruptly focused on. Chet and Callie and been rolling around at the foot of the knoll getting into it.

"Ah, Joe... have I missed something?" He asked not believing his eyes. Joe took on a smile. He couldn't help sticking it to his brother. He knew there were many times, especially of late, where Frank had been stringing Callie along while obviously taking his distractions with Tiffany.

"Ah, that's nothing, bro. You should have seen my face this morning when I poked my head into their tent and saw them in very much the same embrace, except without clothes." Frank looked right at him.

"You mean they were,,, ah,, they were..." Iola who had crept up closer to Joe smiled to Frank.

"I think the correct phrase your searching for is they were having sexual intercourse." She smiled and looked down the knoll at the pair.

"Hey you two! Shut the hormones off for a minute and come over here." she called. Chet and Callie looked up. They saw the stunned expression on Franks face. Not to mention Tony and Bills. They crawled up the knoll.

"Hey Frank!" Chet said cheerfully. Callie smiled.

"Hi Frank. You ok? You seem troubled." she said. Frank tried to shake it off.

"You two are... involved??" he asked. Chet and Callie smiled.

"What's wrong Frank? Can't two single adults be involved?" Chet asked. Frank looked a bit off by the returned bluntness.

"Er,, sure. But in all the time I've known you, I was unaware that you had the hots for Callie." Chet smiled.

"I'll be honest with you Frank. For years I have been attracted to Callie. But I also had respect for you, my friend. Last night Callie and I had a realization that we both had feelings for each other. Feelings that had been around for some time." Frank looked over to Callie.

"Are you happy, Cal?" he asked. Callie smiled.

"Yes, Frank. I am very happy. And I even wish you and Tiffany happiness. And so I hope everyone will let this soak in and not make a big deal out of the fact that Chet and I have acted upon some pretty long lasting feelings and have finally come to do something about them since we were both single." Frank nodded.

"I will do my best." He said and looked to the others. "The cabin over there could produce a lead with this gang. Joe and I think it should stay under constant observation." The others nodded. Chet headed down the hill in the direction of a small camp site that Frank and the others had made. Tony and Bill were on Chet's heels. Chet fished a beer out of the cooler and sat down. He noticed Bill and Tony almost upon him. They wore smiles.

"Hey Chet. You work fast!" Tony said with a laugh. "Didn't even give Bill or I a chance at her." Chet shook his head smiling.

"Guys, it was out of the blue. It came about and it just happened. We've had feelings for each other, though neither of us knew. I am pretty happy. What can I say?" he said sitting back and taking a long drink. Bill and Tony smiled.

"I personally think Callie is a whole lot better looking than Tiffany." Bill said. Tony nodded.

"Without a doubt. Frank blew it big time." Chet shrugged.

"I'm sure Frank will get what he wants with Tiffany. They are both pretty aggressive and he shouldn't grow bored." he sighed and looked to the pair. "I know we are on a case and I should have my priorities straight but I can't seem to keep my hands or mind off of Callie." Bill started chuckling.

"Chet, you've got one problem I know I would like to have." he said. A few minutes later the rest of the group came down to the camp. Frank took out a water and looked to the others.

"We think it wise for a couple of us to stay here and keep tabs on that cabin. But the rest of us go back to checking the hollow out for a sign of the captain." Chet smiled and cleared his throat.

"In the interest of my feet, I volunteer to stay here and keep watch." Callie sat down quickly next to him.

"Me too." she said with a smile. Iola giggled.

"That wasn't too predictable Cal." she smiled. Frank looked down at the pair who were hand in hand.

"Man, this is going to be stra,,, er, ok. Sounds good. Bill, Tony and I will head north and Joe and Iola will go south." Joe nodded.

"Sounds like a plan." He looked to Iola. "Are you ready?" he asked. Iola nodded.

"Let's do it." she said enthusiastically. Joe nodded with a smile.

"That's all I need to know. Frank, we will radio you in a couple hours to check positions." He said. Frank nodded.

"Sounds good." he said. He retrieved a pack from the small tent that was set up. He looked to Tony and Bill who had also grabbed their duffels. "You boys ready?" he asked. They nodded. Frank turned to Chet.

"Hey pal, can I borrow your boat?" he asked. Chet smiled and tossed him the keys.

"Of course Frank. You don't have to ask." He said. Frank smiled.

"Thanks! Joe or I will radio your set later so keep it on." Chet nodded.

"Will do Frank. Take it easy." he said. The three left the camp and took into the thickets. Callie smiled to Chet.

"Gee, you think they planned that to happen?" she asked with a smile. Chet laughed.

"Probably was a little premeditation there." he said planting a gentle kiss on her neck. She moaned softly.

"As observers, do we have to keep a constant watch on that cabin" she asked between moans.

"Well, I suppose if we go up there and take a peek every now and then it should be ok. God, Cal, that perfume your wearing is driving me nuts!" he said burrowing his face deeper in her neck. She giggled.

"That's what it's made for." she laughed twisting away. "Id better get some coffee made before I get into trouble." she said. She walked over to the fire and went about making a pot of coffee. Chet kept a steady gaze on her. She looked over and smiled.

"Your supposed to be looking at that cabin, darlin'" she said. Chet smiled to her.

"I like this view better." he said. He stood up and walked over to the small folding table and chairs set up near the fire. A few moments later Callie had poured two cups of steaming coffee. She sat down also.

"So Cal, I didn't get a chance to ask when we were in Bayport, but has anyone called the office with anything since we've been out?" he asked. Callie shook her head.

"No, nothing exciting. Gave Iola and I plenty of time to transfer files to the new computers. That was quite the job." Chet nodded, then sighed.

"Just hope we can pay then off." he said. Callie looked up.

"Won't you recover anything off this case? Seems like a lot of expense, but shouldn't your fees help out?" Chet gave a narrow smile.

"Would if we were charging for it. But as this is a friend of the Hardy family the fee is pretty much waived. This captain fellow is pretty much low income anyway. Seems that if we recover the man alive and well it will be fee enough." Callie smiled.

"I admire your dedication to friends, Chet. It's important. But I hope you guys get another case that pays something." Chet shrugged.

"It's all cool. The fee I got for that child was great. But I was hardy frugal. That boat definitely sent me into the red again. But we didn't have much choice. It's a necessary business expense." He took another drink and he watcher her stare back at him. His face broke into a smile.

"What's up, Cal?" he asked with a grin. Callie smiled. She stood up.

"Want to do something fun, Chet?" She asked with a devilish look. Chet raised an eyebrow.

"What had you in mind Angel?" he asked. She walked over to the cooler and took out a couple bottles of Corona. She set them on the table. Then looked about the small clearing. Convinced they were alone she threw her sweater off. Chet coughed abruptly at the sight of Callie's nearly bare chest. For good measure Callie peeled her jeans off. Chet's eyes blinked rapidly. Callie stood before him. She picked the two beers back up and slowly walked towards the tent. She looked over her shoulder.

"Don't tell me you need more encouragement?" she asked coyly. Chet stood up quickly and smiled. He followed Callie into the tent. He grabbed the radio on the way.

"I won't miss the call this time." he said.

Moments later Chet found himself laying down on a sleeping bag in the tent. He was breathing deeply.

"Oh my Cal. That is amazing." he said softly staring straight up towards the tent ceiling. He moaned deeply. Callie was between Chet's legs on her knees under another sleeping bag. A moment later the radio buzzed. Chet closed his eyes.

"This isn't happening." he said. Chet grabbed it and flipped it on.

"Ahhhh,,, Chet here." he said between moans of pleasure.

"It's Joe, Chet. We just got into position about four miles to the south. How are you doing?" Chet tried to stifle a yelp.

"Ahhh,,, just greeaattt! Oh, God, not while I'm talking..please." Callie looked up at Chet from under the sleeping bag with a devilish look on her face. She went back down.

"What's up Chet?" Joe asked somewhat perplexed.

"Ohhhhh,,, did you have to phrase it like that, Joooo... Calliieeee, Please baby!" A sound of laughter came from the radio. Joe and Iola were giggling uncontrollably. Joe tried to talk without laughing.

"Chet, is she giving you..." Chet cut him short.

"Joe, I really can't talk about such things... oh God! Yesssssss baby!"

"You've answered my question Chet. Just remember to try to go look at that cabin on occasion. You know, I really think you two must not have been laid for awhile. But again, Iola and I aren't exactly totally nose to the grindstone. I will call you if I need you. Goodnight you two." he said with a chuckle.

"Goodnight Joe." Chet said signing off. He had regained composure after Callie had overstimulated him to his apex. She looked up to him disapprovingly.

"Premature tonight?" she asked with mock disapproval and licked her lips. Chet sat up and deeply kissed her. He smiled to her.

"That was cute Angel. Im glad Frank didn't call." Callie grinned.

"I was kinda hoping it would have been him." she said. Chet smiled.

"I'll make up for that loss." he said taking her in his arms and laying her on her back. She looked up with a smile.

"What had you in mind?" she asked. Chet took a breath.

"Guess you'll just have to wait and see." he said and began planting gentle kisses on her navel.

"Oh my God! Yes!...Yes!...Yes!" Callie's scream pierced the darkening hollow. Chet had apparently gotten his revenge.

The pair did not emerge from the tent until mid evening. Chet started rooting through the cooler.

"Like some dinner, Angel?" he asked. Callie smiled. She still had a glazed expression in her face.

"Yes, please. How about some music?" Chet nodded.

"Sounds great." he said taking some meat out and went about rebuilding the fire which was almost out. Callie took out the small CD player. She then took out a CD.

"What are we playing tonight?" Chet asked. Callie held up a disc.

"Alanis. Under Rug Swept." she said. Chet nodded.

"It works. You have a wide variety of tastes. I've always liked that." Callie smiled and started the music. She set the volume on low and went about helping Chet with dinner. Over the next hour they had a leisurely dinner. Chet looked to his watch.

"Well, I think I will need to plant myself up on that knoll tonight. If you want you can grab a sleeping bag and join me." Callie nodded.

"That will be great. I will put on some coffee." she said and went about the task. Chet put a couple things in a small backpack he found in the tent. Callie filled up a thermos and grabbed her sleeping bag. The pair headed up towards the top of the knoll. They stopped just short of the top. Chet spread out the large double sleeping bag and he and Callie lay down on it. Chet fished a pair of inferred field glasses from the pack and crept up and looked down towards the cabin. He returned shortly.

"Not a thing." he said and settled down beside her." He took his gun from it's holster and set it off to the side. Callie removed her side arm also and then lay her head on Chet's chest. They looked up through one of the few clearings in the dense tree umbrella and looked at the stars.

"Despite the case at hand, this is quite nice. The trees and stars. A light breeze." Callie said with a smile. She closed her eyes and within moments her heavy breathing told Chet that she was asleep.

"Not a bad idea" he thought to himself. He eventually closed his eyes and soon was asleep himself.

At four thirty the next morning he found himself being shook awake by Callie.

"Chet, wake up. There is something going on at that cabin." she said. Chet looked up groggily.

"What's that, Cal?" he asked shaking himself awake.

"Someone is trying to get into that cabin down there." she said. Chet sat upright. He grabbed the field glasses and crept up to the top and looked down. He spotted a dark figure before the door. A moment later he disappeared inside.

"He went in." Chet said. Callie looked nervous.

"What should we do?" she asked. Chet picked up the portable radio and flicked the transponder.

"Anyone out there? Over." He sat there waiting for a response looking at Callie. He tried again. "I say again, Frank or Joe. Are you out there? Over."

Again, no response came. Chet took a breath.

"Well Cal, are you up for the adventure part of the job?" he asked. Callie nodded and picked up her PPK and checked it. She holstered it. Chet took his Smith & Wesson model 29 and checked it. He nodded knowing time was of the essence. He looked at Callie.

"Watch that cute little tail." he said. She took a breath and nodded.

"Are we going in?" she asked. Chet nodded.

"Seems like the only way to find anything out." he said tersely. "If we run into this guy just be prepared to back me up." Callie nodded. A moment later the radio cracked.

"Chet, are you out there?? This is Frank." Chet scooped up the radio.

"Yeah Frank, where have you been?"

"No time, have you seen Bill??" he asked. Chet looked perplexed.

"No. He was with you, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, but he has disappeared. His rifle is here so we don't know. I think they snagged Bill." Chet took a breath.

"Well Frank I haven't seen him. But we have a little action here. Some guy just went into the cabin. We are going to investigate."

"We??" came the reply. "Chet, you can't take her in there." Callie shook her head in disgust as she looked down at the radio. Chet hit the transmitter

"Frank, I am not about to let her out of my sight. Lest we forget Callie has an education in law enforcement and even some FBI training. Give me a break!"

"Damn it! Be careful then." he said. "Let me know if Bill shows up. I will contact Joe and let him in on this and see if he has seen Bill. And call me back anyway to let me know how it turns out over there."

"Right, Frank. Over and out." he said. He looked to Callie.

"Ok, Angel, let's do it!" he said and the pair walked over the rise and crept down towards the mysterious cabin. The darkness concealed them well as they stole up near the door. Chet pulled out his gun and with the other hand tried the door. To his surprise it opened. He looked to Callie.

"We must be very quiet. If there is a tunnel he may not be in it yet." Callie nodded and took out her PPK. They slowly entered and were greeted by darkness. The stranger was not using a light if her was in the room. Chet took out a pen light and flashed it briefly through the room. There appeared to be no one. The floor plan resembled the other cabin closely. Chet gestured towards the kitchen. He walked towards the back. Callie was attracted to another doorway off to the left. She could make out the general shape in the darkness. That was all. She though there was a faint light from within. Though figured it could just as easily be the moon. She slowly entered the doorway then froze. A few short feet away was a shadowy figure on their knees flashing a small light on some boxes. Callie took a silent breath. She leveled her PPK in front of her and took a couple steps forward. She silently pressed the gun into the figure's head.

"Freeze right there pal. Unless you want a sizable hole in your head put your hands up slowly. The man slightly turned to see Callie's nickle plated PPK leveled at his temple. He slowly raised his hands. Callie found her voice.

"Chet! In her!" she called. Chet stormed into the room.

"Callie, I thought you were behi..." his light fell onto Callie with her gun jammed into the head of a man on his knees with his hands up. Chet half smiled at this.

"Good work Cal." he said taking pulling up his magnum. He noticed her tense stance as she held him at bay.

"I got him Cal." he said aiming at the man. Callie lowered her pistol and holstered it. The man looked more fearful when he saw Chet's canon leveled at him.

"Don't shoot man!" the man said obviously scared. Chet smiled and pulled a pair of handcuffs from his pocket. He handed them to Callie.

"Here you go, Angel. Slap the bracelets on him." he said. Callie took them and took the man by the arm and pinned him against the wall and slipped the cuffs on the man with ease and speed. Chet looked satisfied to the prisoner.

"Now then, what were you doing in here?" he asked. Callie pointed her flashlight down to the floor.

"He seemed pretty interested in those boxes." she said gesturing towards three steel encased strong boxes. Chet looked down with interest. The boxes appeared to have some very sophisticated lock on them.

"Can you get those Cal?" he asked. Callie nodded and with a little difficulty managed to pick up all three.

"Whatever is here is heavy." she said. Chet nodded and gestured for their prisoner to walk towards the entrance. He looked about the cabin for anything more of value. There did not appear to be anything so he gestured for the prisoner to move. He prodded him out of the cabin and back over the rise to their camp site. The prisoner was clearly distressed by the fact that they had a camp set up so close to the cabin.

"Didn't see a thing, did you? That rise hides this camp nicely." he said motioning the prisoner to sit. Callie set the boxes down by the fire. Chet looked down to the prisoner.

"Are you going to talk? If you talk, you will do less time. If you don't we will send you back to the police to face attempted murder charges. And if our friends show up anything less that alive and well it will be murder one! So, who are you?" He remained silent. Chet threw up his hands.

"It's futile to stay quiet. We got your pal Steed locked up in a maximum holding cell with ten heavy charges on him. You'll end up in the same boat. But whether or not you want that boat to take a three year journey or a thirty three year one is up to you. How about it?"

"I ain't sayin' nothin! We got one of your group already tonight! Are you looking for more?" Chet took a breath but smiled in spite of the situation. He took out a small tape recorder and held it before the man. Chet smiled.

"Well thanks! We have your confession for a kidnaping rap. Which is ten to fifteen years in itself. Care to go for twenty smart ass?" The man shut his mouth realizing he had said too much already. Chet made the man stand up and started searching him.

"Hmm, let's see. No ID, switchblade, thank you. Fourteen dollars, who says crime doesn't pay. Cigarettes, lighter. Hmm, that's all? All your buddies seem to have guns and explosives. And here you are with a knife. Ok, pal. I'm going to take you down the hill about a hundred yards and tie you to a tree and give you some time to think." He and Chet walked down to the edge of the clearing and Chet handcuffed him around a thick oak tree and tied his legs for good measure. He returned to Callie who was making coffee. She smiled to him. He returned the smiled.

"Great work, Angel. Caught him all by yourself." He took the radio out and flipped the switch.

"Frank, you out there?" he asked. A moment later the radio crackled.

"I'm here Chet. Are you and Callie ok?" He asked. Chet smiled.

"We're fine. We got ourselves a prisoner." he said.

"How did that happen?" Frank asked. Chet grinned to Callie.

"Well Callie snuck up on this guy and got the drop on him all by herself. Yep, made me look the fool." There was a silence for a moment.

"Well, I, er, see. Did you find a tunnel?" Frank inquired.

"Didn't see any obvious one, But didn't have a lot of time to look before Callie nabbed this guy. He was bent over three strong boxes that look like they could hold something of decent value. We got them too."

"Great." Frank said.

"Oh, and Frank. This guy didn't talk much but I did get enough out of him to confirm that they nailed Bill. He clammed up soon after."

"Damn, I was afraid of that. But look, I got a hold of Joe. We will be back in your camp within six hours. Then we will investigate the cabin, the boxes and our guest." Chet nodded.

"Sounds good Frank. We will see you then. Over and out." Chet set the radio down. He looked up to Callie who brought him a cup of coffee.

"You ok, Angel?" he asked. She took a breath.

"Yeah. Just not used to that. I know we have all had training and experience. But when it happens it still gets the blood flowing." Chet smiled and took a drink.

"That it does." he said with a smile. She looked down at the three boxes.

"What do you think is in these things?" she asked curiously. Chet looked down at them. The sun had come up and they were now somewhat more visible. He picked one box up and examined the lock on it. He whistled softly.

"Unless I miss my guess this lock is designed something like a safe deposit box. At least in principal."

"What do you mean?" Callie asked curiously. Chet gestured to the lock.

"There appears to be two holes on this lock. Meaning that it's likely designed for two different key holders to open it at the same time." Callie nodded.

"Any way to pick the locks?" Chet looked more closely. He shook his head slowly. Then raised an eyebrow.

"Well, not conventionally. However I do have the Smith & Wesson master key." He said and took out his magnum. Callie smiled.

"That will do the trick?" she asked. Chet nodded.

"Unless Im off my mark it should do the trick. However..." he said reaching into his pack. A moment later he held up a small cylindrical looking object. Callie raised her eyebrows.

"A silencer?" she asked. Chet nodded.

"Yep, if I have to go blasting on this lock I don't want to attract too much attention." He placed the silencer on his magnum and then carried the box over to the edge of the clearing. He stepped back and took careful aim. The lock came off after three blasts from Chet's pistol. Chet retrieved the box and sat back down at the table.

"Stubborn lock! I though tone shot would do it!" He took the remains of the lock off and took a breath.

"Let's hope it was worth it." Callie said anxiously. Chet lifted the heavy lid from the box and gazed upon what appeared to be several smaller dark purple felt boxes.

"Huh?" Chet said perplexed. "Kind of looks like jewelry boxes." Callie took one and opened it. She took a sharp breath.

"Oh my god, Chet! Look at this!" she said holding up what appeared to be a diamond necklace with a huge sapphire pendent with small diamonds surrounding it.

"Whoa!" Chet exclaimed. "If that is real, it must be worth a fortune!" Callie nodded, spellbound by the beautiful piece of jewelry. Chet took out a small box and opened it.

"Wow! Callie, check this out." he said. Callie gazed to the small box Chet had opened. She sat there with her mouth agape. Chet held up what appeared to be a five carat solitaire diamond ring.

"Chet, that has to be the most beautiful ring I have ever seen." she said. She took the ring and looked intently at it.

Chet meanwhile had found some papers in the box and began to look them over. Callie looked up.

"Do you think these are real, Chet?" she asked. Chet coughed abruptly as he studied the papers.

"Well, I certainly do now. These are insurance documents. And, according to them these jewels were a shipment sent by Tiffany & Company on their way to their photographer for inclusion in Tiffany's high line catalog. Valuations are given. The whole ball of wax. These are definitely real." Callie looked up wide eyed.

"You mean these are from Tiffanys??" she asked incredulously. Chet looked at one of the sheets and smiled.

"Yep. And that necklace... if I am reading this right is forty two point eight carats of white diamonds total weight and a single nine carat blue diamond! Total value of the piece is eight hundred thousand and change." Callie looked stunned. She looked down at the necklace.

"That necklace is worth over three quarters of a million dollars??" she asked. Chet nodded seriously.

"Yes. And that ring your fond of is four point five carats. And can be yours for a mere two hundred thousand and change." Callie looked at him. She took the ring and placed it back in the case. She look to him.

"There is a lot more in these boxes, isn't there Chet?" she asked. Chet nodded seriously and looked about. Then he looked back down at the paper. He looked up.

"We are sitting on a little more than thirty eight million dollars worth of jewels." he said. Callie looked about herself then gasped.

"Thirty eight million?? Do you think that is what this mystery is all about?" Chet rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Right now it's hard to say. I mean we found it in that cabin which is a mystery in itself. And the joker we took this from doesn't appear to be th type to steal thirty eight dollars, much less thirty eight million! I just don't know."

"Didn't that Steed character have a hijacking rap?" Callie asked. Chet nodded.

"Yeah. There could be a connection. Hard to say at this point. Maybe if that guy hangs around that tree for twelve hours he will want to talk." Callie nodded then looked about.

"We'd better watch this stuff good. Chances are there is someone further up the ladder who will be missing these soon." Chet nodded and checked his magnum. He replaced the ammo he used. He carried the jewelry into the tent. He came out and sat back down.

"Your right about keeping watch. If that guy down there was just a delivery boy then someone will be looking for him if he doesn't come back with the goods."

Chet took another cup of coffee and went and sat down against a fallen tree. Callie walked over to join him.

"Sleepy, Angel?" he asked. She nodded.

"A bit. I woke around three or so and thought it best to keep a watch. Now I am wanting sleep." she put her arms around him and rested her head against him.

"That was one pretty ring." she said, almost in a daze. Chet coughed abruptly.

"Well, for near a quarter mill it had better have been." he said with a laugh. She smiled.

"Though I'm sure if I get a ring just a tenth as pretty as that I will be as happy as can be." Chet looked down at her but said nothing. The idea of being domestic. In an actual relationship bound by something appealed to him. He wanted to continue working but also wanted a family. Not just an empty apartment. He smiled down at Callie, who had again, fallen asleep on him. He sighed contentedly. She looked so sweet sleeping. He was happy in the position and hadn't noticed the next three hours pass. He gazed upon the open clearing by the camp and saw the group which was unmistakably their friends heading his way.

"About time." Chet thought. Another five minutes brought Frank, Joe, Iola and Tony into camp packed down with their supplies. Frank looked down to Callie with her arm wrapped around Chet and her head on his chest. He smiled.

"Makes you feel you can do anything right when she does that. Puts all her faith and trust into you." Chet nodded and smiled.

"Very much." he said softly.

"She been sleeping long?" Iola asked. Chet looked to his watch.

"About three and a half hours." he said with a yawn. A moment later Callie stirred. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up sleepily.

"Hey guys." she said softly. "What's up?" she said sitting up. She ran her hands through her hair and kissed Chet on the cheek.

"Thanks for letting me sleep while you guarded." she said. Joe looked down the hill at their captive.

"Don't know why you had to guard him, Chet. Looks plenty secure they way you got him trussed up. You should have gotten some shut eye." Chet stood up.

"Well Joe, I'm not too worried about him. But Callie and I did recover something worth guarding." Frank looked up.

"Oh yeah. You did mention something about finding a few crates or something. What did they turn out to be? Weapons? Explosives?" Chet smiled shaking his head.

"No Frank, no weapons. Though we did find a fortune in jewels." Frank laughed.

"Ok, Chet. Quit the clowning. Did you find anything or just a couple of empty crates?" Chet shrugged and smiled to Callie. He went into the tent and returned with the strong boxes. He set them on the table and gestured to the open box.

"See for yourselves." he said. The others opened the box and soon gasps were heard and looks to Chet and Callie.

"Is it real?" Tony managed to ask. Chet nodded taking out the insurance forms and opening them up for all to inspect.

"What we have here is just shy of forty million in jewels from Tiffany & Company. Apparently diverted from it's destination where it was meant to be photographed." Frank looked over the papers and then to Chet.

"You and Callie found this stuff in that shack?? Where?" he asked.

"Callie found this guy hunched over the goods in the side room of the cabin. We figure he's a delivery boy. Doesn't seem to be the type to pull off such a heist himself."

"But what in the Hell is this stuff doing in that cabin to begin with??" Joe asked amazed. "Had I stolen it I wouldn't lose sight of it. No, not forty million dollars worth. That is just bizarre." Callie took out a small box and opened it. She showed it to Iola.

"Hey Iola, check this ring out. Isn't it the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" Iola looked down and gasped.

"Oh, it's stunning! How much is it worth?" Chet looked up with a smile.

"With tax, quarter million, give or take." Tony looked wide eyed.

"What? A quarter million?? What are they going to use to build the house?" he asked out loud. Joe laughed.

"You can bet that to anyone who can afford a quarter million dollar ring that money is no object. So their real estate concerns are probably not a worry." Chet looked down at the others.

"So what do you think we should do next?" he asked. Joe looked down to the box and looked up.

"I am thinking it's time to call dad now. He may be able to shed some light on this case. After all, he does have a file on Steed." Frank nodded.

"I agree. Dad may be able to give us some answers. I'll give him a ring on his emergency cell. He won't mind under the circumstances." Chet tossed him his cell phone.

"Here ya go, Frank." Frank smiled.

"Thanks." he took it and dialed. A moment later he began speaking.

"Hello, dad... it's Frank... yes,..." Frank walked down into the clearing. Chet took a beer from the cooler.

"I hope Mr. Hardy can give us a hand." he said taking a seat. The group sat at the table somewhat pensively as Frank was on the phone with his father. A few minutes later Frank walked back over towards the group. He had apparently finished his conversation. He smiled to the group.

"Dad will be here in about six to eight hours! I explained what has been going on, along with the latest of apprehending the prisoner and the jewels. He has a feeling that maybe our cases are connected. Plus he is concerned about the captain, and Bill. He says his case is at a lull and he will bring a couple operatives and tune in on our signal." Joe's face broke into a wide grin.

"This will be great. Dad will know the best course of action." Tony nodded reaching for a beer.

"If your dad can shed some light on this it would help. As much of this hollow as we ave searched there is a lot left. Maybe he can save us some time, though I suspect he will put us back on foot duty. I just hope we can find Bill and the Captain in time." Frank stepped up.

"Dad will have some ideas. He always does. Now, I think Chet, Tony and I should go down to the cabin and see if there are any tunnels or clues. Joe, you and the ladies keep alert on this end and stand guard." Joe nodded and checked his pistol.

"No problem Frank." he said. Chet and Tony joined Frank and headed over the knoll.

"We'll be able to see better in the light. This morning it was pure darkness and we were lucky to see a thing." Tony smiled.

"And Callie managed to get the drop on that guy." Chet chuckled lightly.

"Yeah. I headed for the back room and she sneaked off to the side and got the guy with the goods. Lucky thing." Frank looked over.

"It's not my business any more, Chet, but..." Chet shot him a look.

"No, Frank! I don't know if taking her with me was the best choice. But all I know are facts. Facts were that you had just told me that Bill had vanished. I didn't want to let her out of my sight. She has had formal training in law enforcement so she wasn't exactly green. And lest we forget the big one. She would in no way allow me to say no." Frank nodded knowingly despite Chet's flare up.

"Yeah, I know that all too well. I'm sorry Chet." Chet smiled slightly.

"It's ok. Just shows you care." They entered the cabin, guns drawn. Chet gestured for Tony to take the kitchen.

"Frank, take this room. I'll hit that side room." he said. The three separated. Tony headed into the kitchen. This cabin, however, had no large stove. It had no stove at all. He studied the wall carefully but determined it was solid. He scanned the floor but found nothing obvious. He went about tapping on the floor without much luck. Frank and Chet were performing similar inspections on the floors in the other rooms, but without luck. They gathered back in front of the cabin to report nothing had been found.

"I would have sworn we would have found something!" Frank said shaking his head. "It just seemed logical." Tony smiled.

"At least we have the jewels. That means something. Let's not take it too hard. Maybe we are concentrating too hard. Your dad may have a clue." Frank nodded.

"Your right. Let's get back. We need to watch over those jewels. No telling who may be out and about looking for them. It's a cinch they were missed by now no matter what the situation." The group headed back over the rise and walked down to camp. Joe looked up from his seat by the fire.

"Any luck?" he asked. Frank shook his head.

"Doesn't appear to be any tunnels that we could detect. But you never know. We thought it best to be on top of those jewels just in case someone should try anything. For once I am glad we have a few spare weapons laying about here Chet." Chet grinned.

"No one will get those boxes without taking some lead." he said dramatically. "But while we wait for the hijackers or your dad, let's have dinner." Joe smiled in spite of the negative findings.

"Sounds good. You indeed know how to keep the faith, Chet." Chet beamed. He looked over as Callie walked over to him.

"Want to give me a hand with dinner, Angel?" he asked. She smiled broadly.

"I think I can manage that." she said.


	11. Chapter 11

The hollow gave an Erie feeling as dinner ended and the evening wore on. Despite the fact that assurance the case may make headway with the soon to be presence of Mr. Hardy,,, there was still an unsettling feeling among the group. Their prisoner was near collapse with his arms wrapped around the tree. Though no mercy, much less interest was paid by the group who knew this was Steed's cohort and likely knew of the attempt on Frank's life. And the uncertain notion of where Bill was.

Frank sat by the fire, nursing the same cup of coffee he had poured over half an hour ago when Joe settled down next to him.

"Hey there, how goes it?" he asked, looking at his brother's far away look and lack of interest in his coffee. Frank's intense gaze broke off and he half smiled looking at his brother knowingly.

"Is the stress showing that much??" he smiled looking back into the woods. Joe half shrugged.

"Ya look like you have a few things on your mind. Pretty natural considering that you have broken out of a very long relationship. A family friend has been missing and then of course Bill just getting snagged. To say nothing of the fact that you,, and Chet, and Tony nearly got blown to eternity. Stress is pretty natural with a tenth of that load."

"Yeah, but I've had more stress than this before. We have had some pretty intense jobs in the past. We eat stress for breakfast in this job, Joe. You know that. And though it is hard to see callie with Chet, it isn't exactly unnatural. Kind of wishing Tiffany was close, but again, it would be more stress. And pretty inappropriate for the surroundings. At least Callie and Iola have been in tight spots before with us. They are experienced at camping and know how to defend themselves. Tiffany has problems lighting a cigarette sometimes." Joe smiled at his brother.

"Take the good with the bad, Frank. All will be well in the long run. Dad is on the way and that is always a plus. He is sharp and focused right now and that's when he works best. Maybe he will get something out of that scumbag down by the tree. We'll find Bill and the Captain. Find out what this deal is with the jewels and the possible hijacking racket." Frank nodded.

"Dad will help us sort it out." He stood up and patted his brother on the shoulder and walked towards the others. He stopped before the group and sat.

"Any coffee left? I'm afraid I let mine get cold." he said dumping out some well cooled coffee on the grass. Chet reached over and took the pot off the fire.

"Your in luck Frank. New pot." he said pouring some of the steaming drink into his extended cup. Frank nodded gratefully.

"Thanks." he said, then gestured down the slope towards their prisoner. "Any word out of him? He looks a bit uncomfortable. Might motivate him to let us know anything about Bill or the captain." Tony shook his head.

"Not anything interesting. " Iola grinned.

"He was muttering at length but mostly words that don't bear repeating. I think he's a bit irritated that he got caught." he eyed Callie significantly, "especially by a woman." Callie beamed.

"It wasn't hard with him. He was pretty concentrated on getting those boxes of jewels and I had the drop on him with little difficulty."

"Makes you wonder if he knew what was in them." Chet mused... "I mean this guy is simple simon the 2 bit hood. Cheap labor tends to stay out of the loop when it comes to such thing. Otherwise you run the risk of double cross. If this guy thought he was retrieving a few boxes of firepower or something less valuable, yet worthy of respect and delivery, then the boss wouldn't run any risk of having his own men take a cut bigger than what they are getting paid." Frank nodded.

"You could be right Chet." he mused. "But I can't figure out why would we find millions of dollars worth of jewels laying around carelessly in an old cabin.."

"It doesn't make sense." Iola concurred. "I would have that stuff locked into a safe deposit box if I owned it." Chet smiled.

"Well sis, we can hardly blame the bad guys for not using the bank to keep their stolen loot. It would hardly be within the rules of thieves to use the banking system in that way. They tend to take things Out of the bank." Iola rolled her eyes at her brother.

"I hardly meant that the thieves should do it. I meant if I owned that stuff. Hell, even if I owned one little ring from that box I would have it in the safe..."

"Or maybe on your finger" Callie said empathetically towards Joe. Who was walking towards the group. All eyes fell to Joe, trying to hide the humor of the situation. They failed. Joe returned the gaze back to the group as he sat down.

"What's up guys??" he asked, wondering why the group had been trying to keep a straight face while looking his way. Chet gave a heart laugh then looked up.

"Oh, nothing much. The girls here were thinking of getting you into the jewelry buying mood. More specifically ring buying mood." Joe blushed and looked sheepishly over to Iola.

"Is that right? Hmm, guess we might have to do something about that." Iola swung a glance up to him.

"Don't you go teasing me Joe Hardy!" Joe opened his mouth in mock astonishment.

"Who is teasing. You want to get married. So do I. I do happen to love you." Iola looked, as did the others, smiling at the now blushing Joe.

"Oh Joe. I do love you too. You are everything to me." she said softly. Their lips met as if no one else was around. It seemed like an eternity. Chet gave an abrupt cough. He saw Callie look slyly back at him

"Oh Ok, are you feeling neglected sweetie? Come here.." she said falling into his arms and kissing his resoundingly. Tony Looked over at the two couples who appeared to be in an endless lip lock. He sighed heavily looking over to Frank, who smiled and pushed his arms toward him in mock protest.

"Don't look at me Tony! Hey you guys, get a room." Sheepishly the two couples realized that they weren't exactly being discrete. They disbursed the public affection and sat warmly next to each other. Frank cleared his throat with slight apprehension as he looked over to Callie, but averted his gaze when Callie returned a somewhat cool look back in his direction. Frank knew that look. He knew that look now meant something to the effect that if they were alone Callie would freely say something like "Get over it Frank and go lay your head on Tiffany's implants and don't you dare give me any crap for wanting to be happy after the Hell I've been through." Frank reflected momentarily on the thought of Tiffany's implants. But quickly banished such a thought as it was hardly appropriate for the time and place. To say nothing of the fact that his new love, Tiffany, wasn't even present or anywhere near him at the moment. He glanced over at Tony, who didn't offer much of any consolation to his thoughts. Tony, hadn't had a girlfriend in about 6 months. He had broken up with his long term because he worked too much. Or so she claimed. Tony was mad at himself for not paying more attention to what he had and surely missed his former love. So when Frank looked searchingly at him for an answer all Tony could do was give a slight shrug.

The rest of the afternoon went by with someone stationed by the boxes of jewels at all times. They had somewhat expected to eventually get visitors seeking the valuable loot. Chet had elected to guard the stash while Frank and Joe struck out to gather more firewood. Callie sat next to Chet, who was cleaning his .44. She watched his with fascination as he brushed out each cylinder. Tony brought over a small cooler.

"Hey guys, Iola is fixing up some grub, you all want a drink?" he asked sitting down. Callie looked up.

"Cold Corona, if you got one Tony." She looked over at Chet, "You want a drink sweetie?" Chet smiled, obviously pleased to be called this by her.

"Cold water would be cool. Probably unwise to drink while I'm cleaning guns and watching millions in jewels." He looked up and blew through the barrel of his disassembled gun. Slight traces of gunpowder could be seen escaping the barrel. He reassembled his firearm and loaded it. He then secured the safety and holstered the weapon. He looked up and grabbed the water offered to him.

"Thanks angel." Callie smiled. Tony looked at the two.

"You're a lucky man chet." He said noticing his friend's adornment for his new love . "Though it still sometimes looks like Frank could blow a gasket" Callie took a long swig of beer and exhaled.

"Frank needs to get laid Tony. I know he probably is having a little problem seeing his former girl in the arms of another man, but overall Id say he is just stressed and needs a release. Too bad we didn't bring Tiffany along. He would have gotten his fix and all would be right. Though he is kind of a prude, not sure if he has ever did it outside of a bedroom." Tony gave a laughing snort upon hearing this and quickly set his beer down and began coughing.

"Call your shots Cal," he said laughing and half choking, "I wasn't expecting to hear the personal reflections of Frank's former lover, much less hear about places Frank may or may not do the deed." He was still laughing as Iola walked up.

"Will have some stew ready in a ... Say what's so funny guys?" she asked cracking a smile at the three sitting their trying to look serious but failing miserably. Callie cleared her throat.

"Well, Iola, we were just discussing the places that Frank likely hasn't yet utilized for doing the dirty deed. Which is pretty much everywhere outside of a regular bedroom." she giggled. Iola sat down grabbing a beer Tony had offered.

"Oh, your bad girl. Telling such tales, but I guess if that's true, Joe definitely has him beat out. "

"Yeah, we figured that the other night from hearing you and Joe on the radio with a little wine and song" Chet needled his sis. Iola curled her lips and smiled back at Chet.

"Well bro, wasn't it yesterday morning when Joe and I couldn't reach you on the radio, so we had to come hunt you down. And when we finally found you, I believe you were in the tent in a compromising position.."

"What?!!?" Chet asked, not quite catching on. Iola sucked in her cheeks.

"I believe when Joe and I found you that you had passed out and from what I saw, which was more than I should have, your submarine was still in deep waters." At this Callie reddened and Tony gave a whoop of laughter and almost fell back off the tree stump he sat on. Iola took another long swig. Callie looked up, still red faced.

"Thanks Iola, I'm sure Tony here has a lot more data to process than he wanted." Tony smiled at her.

"It's ok Cal, I know you're a lady. And ole Chet, "he started, "where you sink your sub is of no consequence to me. Hehehe" Chet reddened a bit but smiled good natured as he was. Callie smiled also.

"Thanks Tony, I appreciate knowing that others think of me as a lady, but sometimes I think that can backfire. I am very respectable, but after dating Frank for so long I doubt I had much choice. I wouldn't mind relaxing the image a little in the future. Not in the relationship sense because I think I got it right this time, but Frank always wanted me to give off a somewhat pretentious image at times. I mean I know that its wise to reflect properly upon people, but sometimes I get the feeling Frank wanted me to come off as a librarian type." Chet smiled

"I promise to never turn you into a librarian Cal. Your far too free a spirit to be classified as anything like that." Callie smiled and kissed Chet on the cheek.

"Thanks dear. But if I ask for guidance down the road on loosening up, I trust you will point me in the right direction. I'm afraid I'm out of the loop of contemporary image these days. Frank sometimes frowned when I'd wear jeans." Tony opened another beer and sat back.

"I love Frank like a brother, but he definitely has a bit too structured of a lifestyle. He needs to put his hair down sometimes and relax. Maybe Tiffany will help him out in that area." Callie took another swig.

"Couldn't hurt. Hope Tiffany is into being kept on a reasonably short leash though." Iola gave an exaggerated clearing of her throat to get the other's attention to look up. Frank and Joe were heading their way with arms full of firewood. Upon reaching the group they set down their load.

"Whew!" Frank said sitting down gaining his breath. "You'd think for a hollow full of woodlands that it wouldn't be so hard to get some firewood rounded up." Joe nodded, still panting as he fell to the ground. He gave half a gaze towards the cooler next to Tony.

"Say Tony, tell me there's a cold one in there." he panted. Tony smiled and opened the cooler. He tossed a Bottle of Corona over to him.

"Here ya go my man!" Tony said. Joe nodded pulling out his Suisse Army knife. He took out the bottle opener attachment and flipped the lid off the bottle. He drank heartily and then looked up.

"Much obliged. Frank, want a brew?" Frank looked over,

"Water will do fine, thanks." He said. A moment later Tony handed him a bottle of cold water. Frank took it, nodding his thanks.

"Anything exciting happen here while we were gone?" Frank asked gazing about. Chet smirked, but looked down.

"Nothing exciting here Frank. Quiet as a library, you might say." Callie smirked also averting her gaze as not to laugh out loud. Iola broke in before anything more could be expounded.

"Got a nice stew on the fire and we were just waiting or you" She said. Joe brightened up.

"Stew? Wow Iola, that sounds great!" he stood up. Iola smiled

"Well, Chet had some potatoes, carrots and other fixings that were beginning to spoil, so I salvaged them. The rest of you ready to eat?" All nodded eagerly. Frank gazed down at the prisoner who was seated with his arms around the tree.

"Say, despite the prisoner being obviously an unpleasant type, I think I will switch to freeing up his hands and wrapping his legs around the tree. Then he can eat. Wouldn't want to starve him." Iola walked on ahead.

"I'll make a plate, Frank." She said. Frank looked over to Chet

"Say, can you cover me while I switch out the handcuffs for leg irons?" he asked. Chet nodded.

"Sure Frank. Let's go." They walked down the slope to where the prisoner was crouched uncomfortably with his arms wrapped around the large tree. The sullen and tired looking man gazed up.

"You finally come to your senses and going to let me go?" Frank gave a chuckle. He shook his head taking out the keys to the cuffs.

"Not quite, but I will free your arms up and shackle your legs around the tree if you'd like to eat." The man was about to make comment, but thought better of it and grudgingly nodded. Chet took out his .44 and leveled it at the prisoner. Frank unlocked the cuffs and directed the man to place his legs around the tree while he shackled them. The man then sat up facing the tree, but thankful none the less that he was able to somewhat properly sit. He rubbed his wrists ruefully. Chet lowered his gun when the prisoner was defenseless to escape. Iola came down with a tin plate and a bottle. She handed the to items to Frank and returned back up the slope. Frank set the stew and the beer down by the man.

"Enjoy, sorry I don't have candle light and a wine list, but it's better than nothing." he said. The prisoner despite his opposition to obviously being held, was grateful and grabbed the food and drink and started wolfing down the meal. Frank and Chet exchanged amused glances and walked back up the slope. They arrived to just sit down for their own meal. For soon they had consumed an entire pot of delicious stew, and several beers. As evening settled a cool air motivated Joe to place more wood on the fire. The group sat around it, almost transfixed on the leaping flames. Lost in thought. The silence was soon broken by the beeping of the radio. A pre-transmission beep usually occurred prior to verbal broadcast. The radio then crackled.

"FH51 to F24 or other associated party. Come in. Over.." Frank sat bolt upright and Joe scooped up the radio mike.

"This is J23, we read you, Over." He waited tersely for a return signal.

"FH51 here. Hello boys, I will maintain minimal radio traffic until I run into you. I have landed and secured transport to your location. I do need you to transmit a beacon signal at our prearranged frequency so that I may detect you exact location. Over" Joe smiled.

"J23, understood. We will start the signal immediately. Based on our general area, do you have an ETA? Over."

"FH51. Yes. Likely three hours or so. I will have two associates with me to help expedite the other issue. Will see you soon. Over and out." The radio went silent. Joe replaced the mike and looked up happily. Frank nodded his approval.

"We will be getting somewhere soon when dad gets here." I am guessing he brought a couple assistants to take care of our guest. He will undoubtedly be taken to the state police."

"Good, then we can look for Bill!" Tony said. "I hope he's alright." Iola looked worried.

"Me too, I don't want him to get blown up either. But Mr. Hardy should be able to devise a plan so we can find him." Callie started pouring water in a pot.

"Does everyone want some coffee? I was gonna make some." Everyone nodded realizing it would probably be a long night ahead. Chet took out some mouthwash out of a pack and excused himself to go to the makeshift cleaning area they had found a short distance away. There had been a natural spring there and they had made a makeshift shower/bathing area. Upon brushing his teeth and using mouthwash he washed his hands under the spring and walked back down the slope. He rejoined the others while they were having coffee and conversing happily.He gave Callie a kiss on the lips. She smiled.

"Mmmm, much better. Minty!" Chet smiled. Tony reached over for the coffee pot. Callie noticed something when Tony extended his arm. Peeking out under a rolled up sleeve appeared to be some kind of tattoo on his arm.

"Hey, hey, tony! Do you have a tattoo??" Callie asked. "I never saw one on you before." Tony smiled and rolled his sleeve up more so to show the others. The tattoo was a medium size logo of the Harley Davidson company. Tony was an avid motorcycle rider, so this did not surprise the others.

"Damn Tony" Frank started, "When did you get that?" he asked. Tony smiled.

"About two months ago. But I haven't been flashing it around. I know Bayport is still a pretty conservative area and being owner of a construction company may not reflect well. But I had to do it. I wore it open last month when I went down to the convention in Florida." Callie seemed fascinated

"That is so cool Tony. I wouldn't worry about what the others say too much. A lot of people are backdated. I always thought it would be cool to have one, but I guess I am not really the type." Frank looked up over his coffee.

"Nothing wrong with that Cal." he said without thought. Callie rolled her eyes.

"Frank, it doesn't make Tony a ruffian because he sports a tattoo." Frank shrugged.

"I didn't say it did. I just speculated that you weren't the type to do that. I could see you walking into church Sunday morning with one. Hehe." Callie sat quietly without comment. Chet noticed Callie's sudden quietness. He put an arm around her.

"Don't worry Cal, I wouldn't be ashamed. You can do whatever you like and I Will support it." Callie smiled to him.

"Thanks Chet, but I guess Frank is more or less right." She excused herself and walked down the slope. Chet looked over to Frank.

"You're a charmer Frank. You think you could take it easy on future speculation a bit? She is still pretty sensitive to your opinions if you hadn't noticed." Frank nodded.

"I'm sorry Chet.. It just kinda struck me funny when she mentioned a tattoo. Never in the years I have known her and was with her did she ever mention it. I guess this is what happens when people grow apart." Chet shrugged.

"Just take I easy on her, huh?" he said, then got up and walked down the slope. He spied Callie sitting on a grass knoll in the light of the moon shining through the trees. He walked over and looked down. Callie had been crying as was evident by her sniffling and what Chet could tell was puffy eyes.

"Hi Cal, can I sit with you?" he asked gently. She looked up. Gave a smile and motioned to the ground beside her. Chet sat down and looked over to her.

"I hope you aren't crying over what the sexually repressed member of our group was saying." Callie looked up.

"Oh Chet. That sexually repressed man has some control over me yet. I guess... It must take awhile to clear such influence from your system. I know Frank is a good and noble guy. But we weren't meant to be.

"I kinda figured that one out. That's why I was so happy when you and I found our mutual desire. If there is anything I can ever do to make you feel better, please just say the word." Callie smiled.

"You are so sweet, and I know you will be there for me." She slid up next to him and rested her head on him and closed her eyes. Chet lay there with her. It would be a little while before Mr. Hardy showed up.

An hour later, around the fire, Frank, Joe, Tony and Iola were playing poker. Tony took another beer from the cooler.

"I tell ya Joe, it was great being on the Hog last weekend. Rode upstate a couple hundred miles. Was so cool watching the seasons change up there." Joe nodded appreciatively.

"I'd love to get a chance to ride up there. Maybe when I get a weekend off. Sound good Frank?" Frank nodded.

"You know it. I'd love to blow the dust off the bike and get some miles down. Nothing like a bike ride to do that. Say Tony, That's a sweet ride you just got. Hate to ask what it set you back..." Tony smiled.

"Well Frank, I was in an impulsive mood. But let's just say a Harley Evolution isn't cheap. Heh,,, I even chastised Chet for laying out on that new boat, but I can promise you compared to the Harley, he got off lucky."

Frank smiled knowing Tony must really like the bike as he was not one to throw away money carelessly.

"I hope you don't have to build to many houses to pay for it. Very cool bike for sure." Tony smiled.

"It wasn't too bad. I can pay for it with less than one house worth of profit. And treated right, the Evolution will last forever." Iola smiled

"You boys and your toys. I will never understand." she said pouring them more coffee. Joe raised an eyebrow.

"Ha... this coming from the woman who just had to have that cute little Volvo S90 T5 convertible." he smiled to her knowing she would react.

"Well big boy, feel lucky I don't desire I nice little BMW 540i 6 speed."

"Why not? I do!" Tony said. "That's a sweet ride." Frank shook his head.

"Too rich for my blood. I will stick with my Ford Crown Vic police interceptor." Tony shrugged

"Nothing to be ashamed of Frank. Your car rocks. I mean with the police mods it gets up and goes. No question, and yeah, quite affordable!"

Joe looked down at his watch, the light indicated a few minutes past ten.

"Dad should be along sometime. The signal is sending so he should track us with ease." Frank looked into the darkness of the hollow.

"I wonder if anyone else is keeping tabs on us. It isn't like we are being overly discreet with the fire and all. But if you are down by that cabin, you don't even know this little valley sits over the rise. It's a great hiding place to observe from. But one can't help if our enemy is peeking in on us. I mean we do have a fortune in the tent."

"Don't remind me." Tony shuttered. "Thirty eight million reasons for us to get blown up." Frank smiled.

"Now ya know they wouldn't throw a bomb at us. I doubt they want to blow up the jewels." Joe grinned.

"Why go through the mess of explosives when a few well placed rifle shots would do a much neater job.But I think if they were on to us we'd probably have heard from them by now. So let's take it easy. After all, if Chet gets wind of the this he will go overboard and arm us all with grenades and an uzi." Tony grinned pointing ack at him.

"You know That's the truth. You remember the time at the fort where he actually carried that LAWS missile launcher on the ready??" Carried it for miles and then when he finally gets to use it, all he ends up is offing a possum." Frank chuckled heartily at this recollection.

"Oh, how I remember the shocked look on his face. He thought he was taking out a sniper and he toasts a possum. Heh heh, I bet that single Laws rocket launcher cost thousands. The most expensive killing of a possum probably in history. Any number of 20 year old pick up trucks would have done the same thing to that possum for nothing." Iola herself had to giggle a little. Joe smiled.

"You know sweetie that we aren't dissing o Chet. But you know your brother and his occasions to be extreme." Iola nodded knowingly.

"Oh yeah. He was always that type.. Hehe. You remember that case concerning old coins? How Chet and you guys found a rare coin in our farm's field while Chet was digging a drainage ditch?" Frank slapped his knee.

"Oh ho ho ho. That was rich. You dad wanted a little 2 foot wide ditch dug so the garden wouldn't flood over. After we find the coin, Chet borrows that bulldozer from your dad's construction company, Tony." Tony grinned knowing.

"Yep! He dug up the entire farm's field. By the time he was done with that dozer, you could have filled it with water and called it a river. Your dad was pissed Iola! Heheh." She nodded earnestly.

"Oh yeah. Chet had to replant an entire crop. After he re-tilled the land. But he was so coin happy he thought it was a good excuse to sift through the entire field. Dad however was not pleased with the length of time it took!"

Over the next half an hour they reflected back to stories of their past cases and experiences.

At about 10:40, an expedition of 3 men were tracking a signal on an small radar screen while walking through the dark woods.

"How about it Jackson?" asked a deep voice. Special agent Jackson nodded approvingly.

"We are almost on top of them, Mr. Hardy, sir. The signal is strong." The tall figure of Fenton Hardy nodded affirmatively.

"Good. Kelly, keep an eye out on the right. The boys are well hidden no doubt." Special agent Kelly, a short, stocky man, who was a close confidant of Mr. Hardy nodded. He had worked on Fenton Hardy's cases over the years, but mainly in the southwest region.

"I'll keep a lookout for em. We's bound to run into em bout these parts somewhere. If I remember them well they are pretty much like their dad when it comes to their work. I will keep my eyes open." Fenton smiled at this statement. Kelly was a pretty laid back agent with a good ole boy mentality. They tromped slowly as the signal intensified.

"We are almost on top of it sir." Jackson said. Fenton nodded.

"Keep them eyes peeled boys. There's even a fair chance they have a fire going on. It is very dark in this hollow." They entered a slight clearing. The three stopped. The signal was sounding at the highest reading yet.

"Flashlight?" Hardy requested. Kelly pulled one off his belt and handed it over. Hardy shone it through the clearing.

"There, you see. Look through this clearing. Notice how the land gradually slopes about? It's so subtle, especially in the dark it seems. I am betting that there is something beyond that rise. It seems to curve around toward that big area of rock. A perfect place for them to be hiding out. Let's go!" The group headed straight for the highest point of the rise. Upon reaching the top they scanned the area below and it appeared as though Mr. Hardy's deductions were correct. There were many valleys and deceptive rises to where one could hide a camp. Hardy was looking along the area near the rock embankment. He held up a hand.

"There!" he said. I see a campfire flickering. Between that and this beacon going off so strong that must be their camp." he led the way down the sharp rise. The two agents hustled behind their boss.The three snuck up on the camp with great caution, taking nothing for granted. At 100 yards Hardy pulled out a pair of field glasses and focused them on what seemed to be a group around the campfire. His face relaxed and he smiled knowingly. He looked at his men.

"It's them, let's go. But be careful. They are most assuredly armed." His men nodded and followed cautiously. They slowly walked towards the fire. Shortly the sound of voiced became clear.

"Say Tony, can I have another beer?" Joe asked. Before Tony could reply a voice boomed from the darkness.

"Joe Hardy, I certainly hope you are not over indulging in the middle of a case." Joe looked up startled, then smiled.

"Dad!?" he called. Getting up he scanned to the area where the voice came from. The three men emerged from the darkness and walked over to the group.

"Hi Dad!!" Joe said, "No, I wasn't..." Mr. Hardy broke into a grin.

"Easy Joe, I was just making sure you weren't partying too hard. How about a brew for the old man?" Frank grinned and grabbed a beer for his father.

"Hi Dad. Heads up!" he said tossing a beer to him. Mr. Hardy caught the bottle gratefully.

"Thanks Frank.! Hi Tony, Iola. Also this is agent Jackson and agent Kelly." The others looked over with a smile. Joe stepped forth and smiled.

"Kelly?? I'll be. Agent Kelly, we haven't crossed paths since the Flying Express case! How are ya??" Kelly smiled offering his hand. Joe shook it.

"Be a whole lot better if you tell me you have another brew somewhere in your stock. That's quite a little hike from the river." Joe nodded.

"You know it is. Let me get you a beer. How about you agent Jackson? Like a cold one?" The tall special agent kindly shook his head.

"No thank you son. But if you have a spot of water I'd be grateful." Joe smiled.

"Can do." He fished a bottle of water out as well and handed the men their drinks. They all sat down wearily in front of the group. Frank, Joe and Iola sat down as well. Frank looked up to Tony who was still standing by the fire.

"Tony, why don't you go see what became of Chet and Callie." Tony nodded and was about to head off until he saw the pair coming back towards camp.

"Here they come Frank." Tony said turning back about towards the fire. Chet and Callie came walking over to the fire hand in hand. Mr. Hardy noted their 'closeness' and looked over to Frank questioningly. Frank smiled and gave a gesture indicating he would talk to his dad later regarding that.

"Hiya Mr. Hardy!" Chet said breezily. Callie waved.

"Hello Chet, Callie. Good to see you all again... now then Frank, give us an update on all you know." Frank drew a breath and reported all that had happened since they took on the case and arrived in Black Hollow. He finished with the recent events of Bill vanishing and their prisoner down over the rise admitting inadvertently that his gang apparently got Bill. And then the discovery of the $38 million dollars worth of jewels. Mr. Hardy nodded.

"Yes, that was of particular interest to me as the gang I am after is very keen on hijacking such loot. While I was on the plane I checked with a few officials and found out that their was indeed three strong boxes of Tiffany & Co jewels hijacked. I have spoken with Tiffany & Co representatives and their insurance carrier. They were quite pleased that the jewels had been possibly located. And they said upon return of the jewels the recovering party would get a handsome reward. If I heard you right on your first radio transmission you said Chet made the find and got the jewels safe before your prisoner down there vanished with them. Is that right?" Frank nodded but added,

"Also, Callie was there with him. And uh, Callie got the drop on the bad guy down there." Mr. Hardy gave a slight grin, as did his co agents.

"Well then, I might have to reevaluate my position on bringing friends into a danger zone. I kind of figured though that Callie and Iola here found a way to join you all later on. So anyway, it seems that Chet and Callie here are the fortunate ones. I have made arrangement, pending of course that the jewels are authentic, that the party who recovered them will return them to Executives of Tiffany & Co and their more than ecstatic insurance carrier." Chet looked up.

"Does that mean You want Callie and I to take these jewels back to Tiffany?" he asked. Mr. Hardy nodded seriously.

"Yes indeed Chet. We have some serious hijackers and criminals in general roaming about this hollow. They have attempted murder and are holding two of our dear friends. The jewelry is nothing more now than a liability. If it hangs around this hollow it could get stolen back. The sooner it is back in the hands of the owners the better. Plus, there is a little matter of the Tiffany executives and insurance carrier making good on their reward."

"Reward?" echoed Callie. "You mentioned that before. We didn't even know they were jewels when we took the boxes from that man. They could have been filled with ten year old newspapers for all we knew. When we found they were jewels we were happy, but we don't expect a reward for it."

Mr. Hardy smiled knowing the ethics of this group he was happy to call family. He shrugged.

"None the less Callie, it is standard procedure in such a case. When large sums of money or valuables are stolen, a company and insurance carrier usually always issue a reward to motivate the recovery. It is in their best interest." Tony raised an eyebrow.

"Not to sound too material at this point, but what is generally the standard reward in such cases?" Mr. Hardy smiled.

"Perhaps it best to let me see these jewels just to be on the safe side. Hijackers have been known to plant duplication goods to cover their tracks and buy them time. A person thinks they found some valuable stolen goods only to find out that the items were clever forgeries." Frank got up and vanished into the tent. He came out carrying the three cases.

"Here we are dad." he grunted placing the strong boxes before him. Fenton Hardy opened one of the boxes and removed a black box. He carefully pulled out a diamond broach.

"Wow!" whistled Kelly. "That be some shiny rocks boss!" fenton nodded smiling as he took out a device from his coat which resembled a thick ink pen. The end had a small pin like probe on it. He smiled to the others.

"Diamond detector. This little probe can tell the fake from the real." Joe smiled knowing his father thinks of everything. Mr. Hardy held the probe to the diamond. Each time he nodded. He picked out several other pieces from the boxes. All turned out to be authentic.

"It's the real deal boys." Mr. Hardy said. We have over $38 million dollars in front of us." The group quickly returned the boxes back into the tent next to the fire. Mr. Hardy retained the paperwork from the jewelry shipment and studied it thoughtfully. He looked up to the others with a slight smile.

"Chet and Callie, do you have any idea how fortunate you are? To have recovered such a valuable shipment? I compliment you both on some outstanding work. It was a true blow to the gang who took it." Tony looked over to him.

"Mr. Hardy, what I don't understand is why they found nearly $40 million in jewels in an old beat up cabin. And why the gang sent this one guy to go pick them up? It seems way too insecure." Mr. Hardy sat perplexed.

"Good question Tony. I have a possible theory... Chet and Callie,, did you positively see this prisoner of yours go into the cabin with empty hands?" Both Callie and Chet thought hard, but neither could definitely be sure.

"Gee, Mr. Hardy,," Chet stammered, "Come to think of it, I'm not sure, it was kind of dark, as so often happens here in the hollow. What are you driving at?" he asked. Fenton Hardy folded his hands together.

"Well, I could speculate that perhaps he wasn't there to retrieve them, but was actually carrying them with him and he ducked into the cabin to maybe get a look for himself. You said you caught him hunched over these boxes?" Callie nodded. Fenton smiled

"If I were to bet on it, I'd say our guest had a falling out with the gang. And when they weren't looking he snagged the boxes. Maybe he knew what was in them. Maybe not. If he was just a hired strong arm then he may only have limited knowledge of the crimes. He probably had a dispute with the boss over money and chose to compensate himself with whatever was in those boxes. He might have stopped off at that cabin to get out fo sight and maybe take a peek at what he was carrying. I would lay odds he didn't know what he had. No strong arm would be foolish enough to take $40 million from a major crime ring over what was probably a dispute over one or two thousand dollars in 'fees'. For sure he would know that the gang would catch up with him if he snagged such a huge fish." Joe looked admiringly to his father.

"Wow dad, I'd have never thought that all out. But if that is the case, why haven't the gang come swarming all over here looking for the goods??" he asked. Fenton hardy gestured.

"As valuable a find as this is, it is not their main bread and butter. These guys hijack valuable shipment in mass quantity so that they may finance a program to appropriate valuable satellite technology to sell to unfriendly governments. That type of espionage, boys, can be worth billions. For if you have satellite guidance systems and the ability to control what they control, then you have potential power for nuclear blackmail. It's a big kettle of fish. So the jewels are important, but they aren't going to make the gang come out of hiding to possibly get caught. $40 million buys a lot in some places, but on the satellite technology market, its just a drop in the bucket. But boys, the thing to remember is if we cut off the hijacking, then the funds get pinched and the other more concerning crime goes undone. So we need to break this hijacking ring and we will then have the whole affair wrapped up. They need to amass several hundred million dollars to get the position they need to be a viable threat to the satellite guidance business. But we don't really know ow much they have amassed, so we cant take anything for granted. We must shut then down as soon as possible and rescue the captain and Bill."

"So what's the plan dad?" Frank asked. Fenton Hardy smiled.

"Well Frank, it's a clear and easy deduction that the gang is working this hollow as a hideout and possible place to process the stolen goods and convert them to cash. We are also quite sure Bill and Captain McGuire are held up here somewhere. Possibly as insurance policies in case we get too close. I do have a plan if we get close enough to them though. They obviously would like these jewels back. I suggest we take these strong boxes, less the jewels of course, and if we run into a situation try to convince the gang we still have their jewels. I am sure I can have some duplicate jewels made and rushed out here. In fact, Chet and Callie, I am betting that Tiffany & Co people could help us. They often have to have duplicate pieces made for clients who fear theft so they often plant fakes to ward off thieves. So you two, once you turn in the real goods and have them make you some good fakes, you can bring them back here. Because I am going to bet that Bill and the Captain's lives may ultimately depends on the gang recovering the jewels. This is of course once they find out that their strong arm got caught and we have the jewels. It would be advantageous for us to be able to spring the jewels on them as a bargaining chip at the last moment. Right now they assume that their bad seed took the goods and will be searching for him. Discreetly, but none the less searching. They want that money back if at all possible." Chet and Callie smiled to the idea of being charged with such an important duty.

"You both had better get some sleep. I'd like you to leave early. You will need to go to New York city and meet Tiffany executives there. I will contact them tomorrow to expect you. You will need to be careful. I will prepack the jewels for you in your baggage. Therefore if anyone is watching us and they see the boxes remaining with us tomorrow may think they jewels are still with us and it may help flush them. But we need those fakes back within a week or less. We have a lot of ground to cover in this hollow so you can safely have that much time. Frank and Joe, you will take me back to the Captain's cabin so I may also look it over for clues. As well as this cabin and the site of the cabin where the explosion happened. Frank nodded.

"That should indeed keep us busy for a week. Lots of ground to cover. We should also visit the site of our first camp where we were sniped at." Fenton Hardy nodded. He looked over to Joe and Iola.

"Joe, I think it may be advisable if you at least send Iola with Chet and Callie to New York City. This may also fool any gang that may be watching to think that Chet is just taking the girls out of here because of safety issues." Joe grudgingly admitted that this would be wise. Amidst modest objection from Iola she finally conceded that it was best for her to go also and let Joe work without distraction. She kissed Joe on the cheek and rose to join the others who were about to hit the sack to rest up fo their mission tomorrow. Fenton Hardy looked up to the three.

"Get some good rest, you have a long journey tomorrow and will need your energy. I will give you final instructions tomorrow. Goodnight." The three vanished into the tent. Mr. Hardy looked to the remaining boys.

"Can I have another Corona, Joe?" Mr. Hardy asked. Joe nodded,

"Sure dad. Are you ok? You look beat." Mr. Hardy gave a smile.

"I am pretty exhausted son. I haven't slept much with this case." He took the beer Joe offered and took a long drink. He turned his attention to his other son, who had been fairly quiet.

"How are you doing Frank? And I am a little curious to hear about your breakup." Frank looked up a little startled.

"How did you know?" He asked. Mr hardy shrugged a bit.

"Well, Callie and Chet did appear to be a bit more,, shall we say social since the last time I saw them. I also know that in recent months you have been entertaining a young lady named Tiffany. I just assumed that you and Callie finally cut each other loose. And if so, are you alright with that?" Frank smiled. He then nodded surely.

"Yeah, It was hard to finally accept, but I think we knew it was over a long time ago. It was just kind of a shock to see her with someone else. Much less Chet." Fenton Hardy rose and put a hand on his son's shoulder.

"All men should be so lucky. You know chet and trust him as a highly respectable friend and partner. You know he will treat Callie well and that she will no doubt treat him well. That is the most we can hope for in such cases. They are good friends, Frank. It will be fine. And I am sure that you and your new love may indeed find happiness." He looked over at his younger son.

"Now Joe, I suspect you will soon be married if the prevailing wind is indeed accurate. I understand for some time you and Iola have been discussing commitment?" Joe nodded and smiled.

"Indeed we have, dad. I just want to have a house before taking the dive. I believe it is the best idea. Our work will last, as you well know in this profession. But I want to be able to take her to a nice home and be secure in that area first." Fenton Hardy nodded approvingly.

"I am sure you will have enough saved to be able to do such a thing. All you really need is a down payment. Not to many people out there can afford to go out and buy a nice home for cash. You will undoubtedly have to secure a loan. That should be simple. Just be sure to have adequate money down and you should be able to afford most any nice home." He then turned to his own men.

"Sorry to dabble so much into domestic affairs gentlemen. Now for the case at hand. Jackson, I'd like you to settle down about 75 yards to the east and keep a vigil. Kelly, go to the west. Keep in contact by your hand radios. Frank, Joe, Tony and I will plant ourselves around the tent. Keep in mind that we have $40 million in jewels here and that it is plausible that the crooks may be staking us out and will try to do something tonight. So keep a lookout and make sure your arms are in working order." he said. Kelly pulled out his .38 and made sure the chamber was full. Jackson did the same. Fenton Hardy himself removed a nickle plated .357 magnum and checked it over. He looked to the boys who also had checked their guns.

"I presume Chet is armed?" Mr. Hardy asked. Tony gave a chuckle.

"Well, not if you don't count the .44 magnum under his pillow, the Walther PPK in his ankle holster, the uzi in his sleeping bag and maybe some stray hand grenades and a sawed off shotgun for good measure." he said. Frank and Joe grinned. Mr. Hardy gave an amused look.

"Let me guess, he took the credit card and there were several sporting good stores along the way?" Frank nodded.

"Yep, that pretty much sums it up. After we got sniped at he didn't want to go unprepared. But he doesn't really grasp the concept of over prepared. Back in the boats we have enough extra camping gear to spend a year at the grand canyon with 15 people."

"Well, maybe he will entertain his new girlfriend with a camping trip in the future. Well, I am going to prepack those jewels into a rucksack so when light hits it will just look like he is taking some clothes. Then I will be hitting the sack." He turned to his business and Frank, Joe and Tony grabbed their sleeping bags and settled down around the perimeter of the tent. All were on the alert for possible trouble as the night wore on. Night however passed without incident.


	12. Chapter 12

At 5AM the next morning Chet's alarm clock wrist watch went off. He groggily looked up, then over to Callie. She was snuggled up close to him. He smiled with contentment for a moment, then reached over and kissed her gently on the cheek. As if she knew such pleasure asleep or not she began to flutter her eyelids slightly and soon her gaze caught Chet looking down upon her. She smiled.

"Good morning sweetie." she said half sleepily, "what are you looking at?"

"Just the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." Callie cracked a bigger smile and looked back to him.

"You must be blind mister. I haven't done my makeup in almost three days and am wearing the same clothes. If it weren't for that natural spring out there I'd probably smell as bas as I look." Chet smiled.

"If this is you on a bad day I am signing on permanently." They kissed deeply and repeatedly. Chet soon found himself feeling her warm body and kissing her neck. She moaned softly.

"Ahem, Chet." Callie said softly, "This probably isn't a real good idea. You sister is in here with us for one.." chet looked up, and then over to where his sister was laying. She was beginning to awaken. She swung herself over into their direction. She flailed the covers in an effort to get air. In the process she flung the covers from her chest. When Chet realized she wasn't wearing a top he flushed red. Callie looked over to her also.

"Well Cal, are you as uncomfortable as me?" he half chuckled, he looked over again. "Not to sound weird or anything but I hadn't realized what a rack my sister had." Callie looked at him with mock disapproval. Then looked back over to Iola.

"Uhm, yeah. She certainly hasn't anything to be ashamed of." She starred for a moment, then cleared her throat.

"Hey Iola. You might want to get up. It's morning." Callie said somewhat loudly. Iola's eyes fluttered a bit more then opened. She blinked slowly.

"Yeah, I'm up." She looked over to Callie, and then Chet. They were both trying to gaze in another direction. Iola then woke up enough to look down and realize she was hanging out.

"Oh my. I'm sorry. That was probably awkward." She giggled looking at her brother turning red.

"It's ok Chet. After all, I saw your, uh, well you know what I saw a couple days ago. And Callie has seen me like this a few times I'm sure." Callie cleared her throat.

"Not lately. Did you go see a plastic surgeon when I wasn't looking girl?" Iola smiled.

"No, Cal. They just kind of did appear like this overnight though a couple years back, But I guess unless your into talking to Joe about my breasts you probably wouldn't have such knowledge." she giggled. "Ok, turn your back while I throw my clothes one. Chet and Callie obliged her and sat with their backs to her. A moment later she was dressed and threw her shoes on.

"I will go see about breakfast. You guys get dressed." She said leaving the tent. Callie and Chet proceeded to dress and soon emerged from the tent themselves. They found Iola starting to fry some bacon and the others were mostly up and milling about the camp. Chet poured himself a cup of coffee that was eventually made earlier that morning. He took a sip.

"Wow. Mr. Hardy, were you making coffee again?" He asked when Mr. Hardy walked over. Mr. Hardy had a history of making some powerful coffee. He grinned to Chet.

"How could you guess? The double strength? That's what keeps me goin."

"Pretty powerful." Chet agreed. He took another swig and shrugged a bit due to the strength of the drink.

"Chet, you've eaten breakfast at our house enough times to know that the coffee is mighty strong." Joe needled. Chet smiled.

"True Joe, but Mrs. Hardy usually adds hot water to mine and it doesn't taste like full lead gasoline. But you guys should be running like tops today." Mr. Hardy grinned and walked over to him with a rucksack. He set it down next to Chet.

"Here's you duffle with some clothes and such we need to get washed when you return. When you take the girls back, make sure you remember some other changes of clothes. He nodded slightly down towards the duffle. Then he sat and drew another cup of coffee.

"Your all set. The goods are in the bottom lining. Make a path for your boat. For once your safely in the powerboat and headed back the risk will be less but still keep your eyes open. After all, you are carrying some pretty pricey goods. You will need to get to New York City as soon as you can. When you do get there find Mr. Rabinowitz with Tiffany at their headquarters store. They will take care of the rest. They are delighted to know the real jewels are headed back to them." Chet smiled.

"Let's hope we have a nice boring trip back." He said. "Though it makes me a bit nervous to think about transporting that much." Fenton hardy gave a sly smile.

"Well Chet, I am betting that Tiffany and their insurance will compensate you well for your deed. I won't offer to guess at what they may give you, but I am sure it will at least help you absorb some of the costs you have laid out for this case. You had to buy that new boat and many supplies. I am confident Tiffany will make these costs seem not so harsh. But as you said yourself its not a reward you were even after. So whatever they give you will be a bonus." Callie smiled.

"I am just happy that we get a trip to New York City out of it. Maybe we can look around while we are waiting on those fake jewels to be made." Fenton Hardy nodded.

"I am sure you will have a couple days at minimum to get a break. For anyone to duplicate that jewelry, even with fake stones and gold it will take a lot of time. They still have to make it look exactly like the real deal." A moment later Iola passed out plates and announce breakfast would be momentarily. Kelly and Jackson walked into camp.

"Nice quiet night boss." Kelly drawled. "Not a peep from anyone, but the wildlife here about is a bit more active than back home. Lots of owls about here." Jackson smiled and agreed. Mr. Hardy took a plate of food offered by Iola.

"Thanks darlin'" he said appreciatively. "Jackson. I want you to take that hired arm to the state police headquarters up river. They are usually a little more agreeable than some of the local constables." Agent Jackson nodded.

"Yes, sir."

After breakfast, Chet, Callie and Iola, armed with weapons and the rucksack of concealed jewels set off for Chet's boat.

"If you get into trouble, use the radio." Mr. Hardy advised. Chet and the others nodded as they headed off into the direction of the river.

Joe seemed apprehensive as they vanished over the rise.

"I hope they will be alright." He said quietly. Tony planted a hand on his shoulder.

"They will be ok Joe. Remember, Chet is armed with enough firepower to invade Iraq. Plus the girls are packing heat. They will be fine." he said. Frank stood up and smiled to his brother.

"Sure Joe. Hell, Chet will probably be so on alert he will be tossing grenades at bunny rabbits. No one will get near them." Fenton Hardy stepped up.

"Ok boys, lets get it together. We have a full day ahead..."

Chet and the girls headed swiftly in the direction of the river where Chet's boat was docked. They looked about cautiously as they walked briskly along.

"You think if the gang was watching, they bought it?" Iola asked. Chet shrugged.

"I'm not all that sure we were being watched. I think if we were that we'd have been hit for the goods. But I guess you never can tell. They knew we had sufficient firepower so it wouldn't be an easy picking type thing." Callie smiled but was apprehensive.

"I will just be glad when we get to the water and in the boat. It's not like we are driving along the freeway in a Brinks truck." Chet laughed.

"We will probably be more subject to crime once we hit New York City. And that has nothing to do with the good we are carrying."

They continued on at a quick pace. Fifteen minutes later Iola declared she needed to take a brief rest. Chet pulled out a large bottle of water and passed it around.

"Take a drink." he panted. "We are making pretty good time. Should hit the boat in less than 30 minutes."

"Then what's the plan, Chet?" Iola asked. Chet smiled.

"Pretty simple. We just head back to Bayport. Dock the boat and then head by car to the Big Apple." he said. Iola nodded.

"Sounds good for sure." she said happily. "Ok, let's get out of here before someone sees us." Chet smiled and nodded.

"Cool. Let's do it." He led the way with the large rucksack slung across his back. The thickets became more dense towards the river. Chet ever present to the possibility of danger kept his weapon ready as he led the way towards the river. Iola and Callie kept equal watch with their weapons drawn.

15 minutes later the river came into view. They rushed up to the edge. Chet looked up and down the river to gain a position.

"The boat should be south a little bit." he finally said. The others nodded and followed him as he led the way down along the river's edge. Sure enough ten minutes later they arrived at Chet's covered boat.

"Quick, let's get her uncovered and get out of here." Chet said beginning to remove the branches that covered the craft. With Iola and Callie's help they had uncovered the large boat in record time. Chet and the girls jumped in and Chet began to make a check of the motors and make sure all was in order. A few minutes later he was convinced the boat was fine and ready to roll. He hopped into the captain's seat and turned over the motors. With a steady growl they fired up and began churning. Chet looked to the two with a smile.

"Hold the sack in front of you and watch the river's edge as we get out of the hollow. There may still be surprises as long as we are in the hollow." Callie and Iola nodded and looked about as Chet pulled the craft around and headed out of the hollow.

"How soon till we are out of the hollow Chet?" Iola asked. Chet looked at his watch.

"About two hours at most. As long as conditions hold it may be quicker. Then say another 4 hours fast travel to Bayport." This seemed to comfort the girls. Chet picked up speed and guided the craft expertly through the river channel. After a while they relaxed. Callie brought out the water bottle and passed it around. She kicked back in her seat and looked down at herself.

"God, Iola. I look like a half drown rat. No makeup, clothes that needed changing three days ago and my hair. Oh, I wont even start on that." she shook her head. Iola grinned.

"Well Cal, I can relate to you. That is the one bad thing about camping. Most of the modern conveniences are given away in the bargain for nature and tranquility. But cheer up. We will be home soon and get new clothes and I'm sure have time to do something with hair and makeup. And then we can go to New York! Callie smiled.

"I am so sure I will fit in there. I'm not exactly with the times Iola." Chet smiled and turned around having overheard the two.

"Hey Cal,, here's a newsflash. Your beautiful! And also, if you'd like to shop for some "contemporary" attire, you are more than welcome to. In fact I will make it a mission to help however I can to make you feel more contemporary. It will be fun!" Callie blushed at the compliment.

"I can't wait Chet. It will be so fun. Maybe I can shake the librarian image just a little." Chet grinned

"Then it will be our mission once we dump the jewels. What say Iola? You want to look a little more hip?" Iola looked peevishly at her brother.

"Do you think I need to be, bro? I thought I was doing ok. But I guess I couldn't pass up a chance to get my hair done in New York!"

Chet looked over towards the right bank. He froze, staring intently. He swore he saw the figure of a man crouched in the bushes near the river's edge. Not wishing to give the person any more time than possible to cause trouble Chet threw the throttle out. The big craft immediately reacted and lurched forward. The girls were taken off balance and were thrown back into the cargo bay. Chet kept an eye on the area where the man was. Too his amazement though, his boat went through the area unimpeded.

Callie and Iola emerged up from their toss. Iola looked peevishly to her brother.

"What was that all about Chet?" she said straightening her hair. Chet pointed over his shoulder.

"I saw a figure crouching in the woods by the river. I thought he might have a rifle or some other weapon to use against us. But it appears he did nothing."

"I wonder why..." Callie mused. Iola looked about.

"I bet he was a sentry. Basically put there to keep a lookout and not necessarily do anything." Chet nodded.

"Pretty good theory sis. Makes sense."

"I'm just glad he didn't try anything." Callie said uneasily. These guys sound pretty desperate. They are not only thieves, but terrorists. These people could threaten national security. No wonder they are willing to kidnap and murder. It seems not much is really sacred anymore.." Chet looked kindly to her. He reached into a storage box.

"Hey, how about some tunes? Lighten the mood..." Callie and Iola eagerly nodded. Chet smiled and placed one of his Aerosmith CDs into the boat's audio system. A moment later the shrill tone of Steven Tyler singing "Walk this way" was cranking.

"Oh Chet. I forgot you like Aerosmith. They rock." Callie smiled to him. "Frank was never into them. We would always have to listen to that new alternative crap Frank liked." Chet shuddered

"Alternative sucks. Trust me, I know Frank and his music. Sometimes when we are driving along and he puts on of those CDs of his in I just want to whip out the .44 and blow his CD player up." Iola snorted a laugh.

"I'm sure glad Joe doesn't listen to that garbage." she said with relief.

Callie came up and sat next to Chet. She smiled to him. Sitting back watching him power the boat up river. Chet glanced over and saw her gaze upon him.

"What?" he stuttered. Not sure why she was looking so intently at him. Callie smiled.

"Nothing sweetie, you are just cute." Chet blushed and threw out the throttle a little more. An hour later they had cleared the hollow and were well headed for Bayport.

Except for a brief stop at Treeport for some fuel, the group headed steadily towards their hometown. Some hours later Chet announced that they would be in Bayport within half an hour. The girls were visibly excited.

"Where do we go when we get in Chet?" Callie asked. Chet was thoughtful.

"Well, I suppose it wise to stop by the police department and let Chief Collig hold our goods while we take care of anything domestic prior to leaving for New York."

"How long will the trip to New York take?" Iola asked. Chet thought for awhile.

"Probably 4 hours if I step on it." he said. He looked down at his watch. It read 9:49AM.

"We are making great time. Bayport is easy just after ten." he said. He was soon leading his boat through the Atlantic and would momentarily be entering Barmet Bay. Chet sped up as he entered the Bay. Upon reaching closer inland, Chet throttled down . Callie and Iola stood up and watched as Chet entered the area where the Hardy's boathouse was. Chet found the large triple bay house and pulled up along side. Iola jumped out and ran down the side and entered the code in the keypad to open the automatic door. Upon it opening Chet throttled up slightly and entered into the boathouse. They noticed the Sleuth was still in the boat hanger where it had been delivered earlier.

Chet shut down the motors and began securing the boat. Iola walked in and helped Callie step out.

"Record time Chet." Callie said looking at her watch. It said 10:10AM. Chet patted his craft gratefully.

"Piece of cake with this ride. Well, let's get to the police. Your car is still here Iola so we are set." he said. He grabbed the pack and advised the girls to keep on the alert and watch everyone carefully. Iola smiled and took out her keys. They walked up to her Volvo and she hit the remote entry. The doors unlocked and Chet and Callie hopped into the back. Iola pulled out and hit the morning traffic. She soon took an off street which would lead to the old downtown area where police had their main headquarters. It was a beautiful area and drive. The road ran along the bay where many view homes sat on high banks. Iola slowed down abruptly and was gazing off to the left. Chet looked up, half alarmed.

"What's up, sis? See someone suspicious??" he asked poking his head around the surrounding area. Iola deeply sighed. Her gaze was set on an old, large home near the edge of a cliff overlooking the bay. She turned back slowly.

"I'm sorry Chet. That's just the house I want Joe to buy. It's our dream home basically. And it's for sale. Not that it does us much good." Callie smiled, looking over.

"It's beautiful Iola. It looks so stately. How old is it? Do you know?" Iola smiled.

"Built in 1858. 5 bedroom, 3 bath. 4 fireplaces. Over 4,000 square foot. And it has been kept perfectly intact by the same family. And look at that view!! It is breathtaking." Chet smiled and raised his eyebrows.

"I bet the price is pretty breathtaking too. This is one of the nicest areas of Bayport, and view homes are especially pricey. It's a great house though." Iola half smiled and shook her head.

"You are quite right Chet. The list price was $399,000! Joe loves the house too, but has basically told me that unless investigation fees go up another 1200 that I shouldn't get my hopes too high." Chet sat back nodding.

"He is pretty much right. Most all of our cases do not pay to an excess that say an attorney or a doctor would get for an operation or representation. I think HMH investigations reported net earnings for all partners of $146,000 last year. Obviously not bad for one person, but divided up between Frank, Joe and myself, and sometimes Mr. Hardy, we are talking income of well under $50 grand a year." Iola giggled

"Callie and I do your books, remember Chet? Hehe, the company made $144, 610 last year. $12,500 of that was Mr. Hardy's cut for a case.. Trust me, I've been through the numbers with Joe a number of times. He has basically said that our home will pretty much have to be priced under $125,000 for the payments to be reasonable for him to make. But overall it doesn't matter as long as we have a home and are happy." Chet smiled.

"And I am sure you two will be! I should really be more frugal these days. I pretty much blew that missing child reward on the boat and SUV. Plus many of these other goodies that have been charged on this case have me pretty drained. I should have been more responsible." Callie smiled to him.

"Well sweetie, things tend to cost a lot. And you were really just making sure you had everything you needed for the case. I know you will be in the red on this case since it is basically a charity affair. But maybe the Tiffany reward will help pay some of the expenses." Chet shrugged.

"Well, every bit will help. I am guessing that we may get in the area of $5-10 grand. And that beats a kick in the head! We didn't know what we had and certainly wasn't expecting anything. So if we get five or ten grand dropped on us, it will be cool. And half of that will be yours Cal." Callie smiled.

"Pretty cool for sure Chet. I could use 25 hundred. My bank account has maybe $450 saved in it." Iola nodded.

"Every bit helps guys. Anyway, here's the station guys." She said pulling over to the curb in front of the downtown station. Callie and Chet quickly got out, followed by Iola. Chet carried the rucksack and Callie and Iola walked on either side of him. They made their way past the main desk and walked down a side hallway generally restricted to police officials only. Though the Hardys and Chet had such a reputation for working with the police that they were usually given latitude where others were not. They walked up before a desk officer who looked up. He smiled.

"Hello chet, ladies. What's the good word?" Chet smiled.

"Morning McShane. Is the man in?" he asked referring to the closed door in back of McShane's desk. The officer smiled again.

"Just talking to the wife, Chet. Go ahead on in. He will probably be happy to have an excuse to get back to business and off the phone." Chet smiled again and walked towards the door. He tapped lightly on the door and he and the girls walked in. They found Chief Ezra Collig, a very good friend of the Hardys and Chet, sitting at his desk. He was on the phone.

"Yes, Martha, I will remember to stop off at the butcher on the way home. Yes, I remembered that too..." he looked up, smiled and rolled his eyes a bit in the direction of the phone, "Oh Martha, the detective has come in and I have to get back to work... yes,,yes dear. I will see you then. Bye-bye." He hung up the phone and took a deep breath and smiled at the newcomers.

"Well now. Mr. Morton and associates. Don't tell me you have another bad guy? The last one ya brought in here was a pill enough. But it was a good pinch. The state boys from three different states are cutting cards to see who gets to extradite him first." Chet grinned.

"A cops work is never done." he laughed. Chief collig rubbed his whiskers thoughtfully.

"Not at $53,000 per year it isn't. And That's with my seniority. You can imagine what some of these rookies are making. Makes me wonder why they didn't chose to work at McDonalds. There's more money to be had there, and no one shoots at you and calls you a dirty name for given a citation. So anyway, what can I do for you?" Chet smiled to the chief.

"Well dear chief, I was just wondering if you could safeguard this rucksack until I go back out of town later." The chief looked dubiously at the rucksack that didn't look too impressive. He noted to be what appeared to be some dirty laundry coming out of the top. The chief scratched his head looking over the young detective.

"Er,, you want me to guard your dirty laundry? I admit we have a bit of a crime lull today, but I think this is a might misplaced. May I suggest a Laundromat." Chet smiled. He opened the bag and took out a layer of clothing. He then handed the chief the bag.

"Take a look at what's hidden in the bottom chiefy." Collig took the bad dubiously and began to examine the contents more closely. After a few moments her looked up straight to Chet.

"Great Scott! Chet, are these real?!!?" the chief asked amazed. Chet nodded sternly.

"Oh yes, Mr. Hardy authenticated them. The real deal. It was stolen from Tiffany & Co. There are nearly $40 million in jewels there Chief! I am to return them to New York later today." The chief took on a new tone.

"Well now, I can see why you were wanting these held over here while you went about your business. No problem Chet." He hit the intercom button.

"McShane!" he blasted, "In the office now please!". A moment later officer McShane came in.

"Yes, sir?" he asked. The chief held up the rucksack.

"Put this in our high security vault immediately. Then lock down the outer room. No one goes near the safe door but me." McShane nodded grabbing the bag.

"Right away sir." he said rushing from the room. The chief looked up to Chet.

"Well now, you can rest easy while you make your preparations, By the way, how are you getting there?" Chet shrugged.

"We figured we'd drive. It will only take four or five hours at a good clip." The chief gave a half smile.

"Well you could do that of course, but you do know that a non stop leaves from the airport to JFK at 1:30? It might provide even more safety since a wide variety of things can potentially happen on the open road." Chet rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then nodded.

"Well I think that probably is a good idea. Yes. That is exactly what we will do." Iola and Callie smiled eagerly.

"Are there three seats available you think?" Iola asked. The chief smiled and held up a finger. Then he picked up the phone and dialed.

"Yes, New England Air? Let me speak with Jim Horrigan... yes, I can hold." He looked up smiling, then tapped his fingers impatiently. A moment later he smiled.

"Hello Jim? This is Ezra. Yes how are you? Very good. Look, I need to get three people on your New York City flight this afternoon. Do you by chance have any seats?... Yes, three adults. Oh..." his face clouded. "Oh, you do!" his face again brightened. "That would be very nice Jim. If you can do that especially. Uh huh. Very good. It is quite urgent they get to the city as soon as possible. Yes, the names are Chet Morton, Iola Morton and Callie Shaw. Uh huh. Yes, by 1. Will do. Thanks again Jim. Yes, I will be there on Friday, as usual. Great. Bye Jim!!" he said hanging up. He looked at the three anxious faces.

"He managed to find 3 seats. He didn't have any coach seats so he assigned three first class seats." Chet looked up with a slight look of concern.

"Wow Chief, That's great and all, but three first class seats without advance purchase are likely going to add up to a very hefty fare." The chief waved it off.

"Don't worry about that Chet. He assigned them as gratis seats assigned for police business. In other words No Charge!" Chet grinned astounded.

"Wow, That's very generous Chief." The chief waved it off.

"Don't worry Chet. It is prudent for me to do so. Quite honestly I don't need $40 million in jewels sitting in a duffel bag in my city one second longer than need be." Chet laughed.

"I see your point entirely." Collig nodded knowingly.

"So, just be back here around 12:30 and we will give you an escort to the airport." Callie and Iola squealed with delight. Chet nodded his appreciation and they waved to the Chief promising to be back at 12:30. The group left. They jumped into Iola's Volvo.

"Let's get home." Chet said, "You guys aren't the only one's dying for a change of duds!" The girls laughed as Iola cranked the motor over and burst into traffic and headed for the Morton farm. 12 minutes of fast driving brought the turnoff for the farm. Iola took it with great speed and experience. Her tires threw up a good deal of dust and gravel when they left the hardtop for the rock driveway. She didn't cut speed despite being on a narrow dirt road that was their driveway. Soon the large three story farmhouse came into view. The Morton farmhouse was an old clapboard home. They raised some cattle and had some fields to plant in. Upon ILA's grand arrival at the home, their mom came out onto the porch. Mrs. Morton was a pleasant faced woman of late middle age. She smiled happily upon seeing her two children. She ran out and wrapped her arms around them both.

"Oh my babies." she said gratefully. "Oh how was your trip? Did you find this captain person? Is everyone alright? Are you home for good?" Chet and Iola smiled. For they knew their mother well enough to know that this greeting was standard operating procedure upon them returning from case.

"Iola Leann Morton, you didn't tell me this camping trip was on one of the boy's case! You could have been hurt!" she scolded. Iola smiled knowing her mom tended to over react. She smiled to her mother.

"It's ok mom, I had a gun." she said sweetly. Mrs. Morton rolled her eyes.

"I don't think I want to know. Ah anyway, I was just about to prepare lunch. You must stay for that at least." She said sensing that by her son's reluctance to answer her questions suggested that their return was not of a permanent nature. Chet beamed.

"Well of course we can stay for lunch. And even for a shower and some new clothes." Iola smiled to her brother.

"You've been in the field a few days longer than me bro, so you can have first honors on the shower." she quipped. Callie grinned as Chet made an indignant gesture towards his sister.

"Ah, so you think I stink, huh.. Heheheh. Well your right! Ok, Im going." with that he vanished up the stairs. Callie giggled.

"He was getting pretty ripe.. But again, so am I. I'm next." Mrs. Morton smiled.

"Chet can take some long showers Callie. If he drags about just go throw him out. The hot water heater doesn't work as well as it used to, so the water can turn cold a lot faster." she said. Callie smiled again.

"I will make sure he doesn't use all the water." She said vanishing from the kitchen. Iola sat down at the kitchen table while her mother busied herself.

"How are things going here mom? Is dad at work?" Mrs. Morton nodded without looking up from her work.

"You dad is getting some overtime in for sure. So what have you been up to?"Iola broached the subject carefully. For she knew with a case still open there was limited info she could give.

"Well ma, the case is still open so there isn't much I can say. But the hardy's captain friend is still missing and the same group is probably holding Bill as well."

"Oh my!" Mrs. Morton exclaimed. "Do you think he's alright??" Iola smiled reassuringly.

"Oh, I'm sure he won't come to any harm." She said not wanting to alarm her mother. "But Callie, Chet and I have to leave after lunch. We are due in New York City later today." Mrs. Morton looked up.

"The case is taking you to New York City??" It must be quite important." Iola nodded,

"It is mom. But we should be able to handle it." She got up to help her with lunch.

Upstairs, Chet was feeling refreshed letting the hot water stream over him, washing the week of a dirt a real shower had left behind. He stood facing the wall of the shower letting the water massage his back. He stood lost in relaxing thought with his eyes closed. A moment later he yelped with attention. He turned around to see the nude form of Callie Shaw standing in front of him with an evil smile.

"Your mom warned me that I should come let you know there isn't much hot water." she said not removing the gaze she had upon him. Chet stuttered about. Watching the hot water stream down Callie's body was indeed a pleasure.

"You know Cal, I think my mom meant knock on the door and shout Hurry Up or something." Callie looked disapprovingly at him.

"Are you complaining sir?" she asked with a mischievous look in her eyes. Chet again stuttered about.

"Er, no angel. But I don't think we have time for this. As much as I'd rather spend the entire day in the shower with you than take a bag of jewels back." Collie smiled.

"That means a lot... so I will let you off for now." She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him deeply. She pulled back and groped him briefly. Chats's eyes rolled back.

"Oh my Cal..." Callie grinned evilly.

"Guess that cold water will come in handy." Chets grinned and excused himself. He made a beeline for his room and dressed quickly. He was indeed a bit frustrated at this point. He needed a bite to eat. After combing his hair and gathering a little extra cash he had stashed in his room he ran downstairs. The old wooden loose stairs creaked under his big frame. He walked briskly into the kitchen.

"Hey mom, smells good." Chets said hungrily. Mrs. Morton beamed. She never tired of her son's compliments on her cooking.

"Fried chicken is almost done. I hope you left Callie some hot water." Chets coughed abruptly.

"Oh yes, I know for a fact she had some hot water in her shower." Iola raised an eyebrow and looked at her brother while her mom's back was to them. An accusing look as if there ever was one. Chets gave an overly innocent expression to her in return. No doubt his sister thought that he had been banging Callie in the shower. Iola returned her look to normal when their mother turned around. A moment later Callie came down.

"I forgot I didn't have any of my clothes here Iola so I had to borrow some of yours. It is a reminder to me I need to go on a diet." She giggled at the t-shirt of Iola's she was wearing. Iola being a size or so smaller in frame that Callie. The t-shirt came only down to above her belly button and left little to the imagination in regards to the ample tone of her breasts. Chets smiled at the sight.

"Nothing wrong from where I sit Cal. You should wear Iola's clothes more often." Callie smiled and walked over to Chets and sat down next to him smiling. Mrs. Morton was carrying a large plate of chicken over to the table. Chets was still keeping a gaze on Callie's top. Callie grinned.

"What ya looking at Chets?" she asked coyly. Chets stammered about as his mother was looking down at him with some questioning look.

"Well,, well, I j-just thought you looked great is all." he stammered. Callie giggled.

"That wasn't so bad. And thank you." She said reaching over and kissing him resoundingly on the lips. At this Mrs. Morton dropped a plate of biscuits she was bring to the table. Her mouth somewhat agape. She looked a little pale. It had totally not come to Chet's mind that it may have been prudent to let their mom in on his new relationship. Chet got up and helped his mom to a chair.

"Gee mom, I'm sorry. It totally slipped my mind! I mean about Callie and I..." Iola finished picking up the biscuits and walked towards the stairs.

"I think I will use this time to get that shower in. Chet, you'd better inform mom of the changes in life as of late.." she giggled walking up the stairs. Chet took a seat next to Callie. They looked over to Mrs. Morton, who appeared a little better.

"Yes Chet. You had better inform me of what has been going on in your love life as of late." she said still somewhat stunned by the girl she thought as pretty much Frank Hardy's wife to be kissing her son.

Chet and Callie explained the events of late and of the last year in regards to their significant relationships and how they were both deteriorating. And ultimately how she and Chet came to be. After finding out that Callie and Frank had not really been the couple that had been for many years for the last year or more made her understand the development between She and her son.

Ultimately she rose from the table smiling.

"I am so happy for you both. I think it is wonderful. You two obviously know each other quite well so whatever came about was obviously not a rush to judgment or anything else. I think you will be very happy together." Callie smiled. This had been a point of apprehension to her as she feared not being accepted as her son's significant other. These fears were put aside when Mrs. Morton gave Callie a big hug and smiled to her as only a truly approving mother could.

A few moments later Iola came down the stairs with her hair wrapped in a towel.

"Did I miss any bloodshed??" she asked with an air or humor. Mrs. Morton looked over her glasses at her sassy daughter.

"No bloodshed missy. I think it's wonderful. Of course I am waiting on your wedding plans though. Are you and Mr. Joe going to be tying the not this year?" she inquired. Iola rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Of course mother. Joe wants to marry me more than anything. But he wants to get a house secured first. I think he wanted to go look for a home this fall in fact. Of course I have the house picked out. Just a little bit out of our price range." Mrs. Morton smiled.

"Joe's a good and responsible man. He will keep you in check and get something nice but will be responsible enough to know what can be afforded and what will work. I will just be happy when I can come to YOUR home and help you decorate... a nursery for instance." Iola sighed.

"I would like nothing more than a nice home and a couple kids. But as you mentioned Joe is responsible so he won't engage such a plan until he is certain he can provide." Chet spoke up gesturing with a biscuit.

"Yeah, Iola. Uncle Chet wants a Chet jr around to play ball with." Callie smiled and cleared her throat.

"Excuse me mister. But if you want a Chet jr, you'd better be applying with me!". Mrs. Morton looked over her spectacles approvingly as Chet began to stammer again,

"You mean a child of my..my,,own??? he echoed.

"Why not??" asked Mrs. Morton. You have apparently got an interested party. But it might be a good idea to be married first.." Those words hit home like a pile of bricks as they echoed in Chet's mind. Those words combined with Callie looking back into his eyes. A certain feeling he felt. Her offering him her vulnerability and maybe love in that look. They looked at each other for some time. Iola peevishly broke the silence by intentionally dropping a fork on the tile floor. The shattering metal sound seemed to bring them out of their deep mutual thought.

"Eat up Chet. It's after noon. We have to make that plane.." Chet peered up. He smiled firmly.

"Right you are sis." He quickly finished his meal. He stood up and looked at his watch.

"Yep, we better burn rubber." He kissed his mother on the cheek. "Sorry to eat and run mom. We will report back when we can. Give dad our best." Mrs. Morton hugged the three in turn and waved good bye as they rushed out towards the car. Iola took the driver seat and Chet and Callie jumped in the back. They all waved as Iola sped out of the driveway. When the car picked up speed Chet let out a sigh.

"Wow.. Mothers,, huh" he said softly. Iola looked in her rear view at her brother.

"What hit you harder Chet. Mom alluding to you and Callie tying the knot or what seemed like Callie being all for that idea... You were all for that idea, weren't you?" Callie looked over to Chet. She took his hand.

"Yes. I hope that doesn't scare you hun." she said softly looking into his eyes. Chet returned the look.

"Not at all angel. I just hadn't thought about it.. Till now. Actually the idea of having a child.. Being married seems quite wonderful." Callie smiled softly to hear this. Iola looked back in the rearview.

"Hey now. Don't go beating Joe and me to the chase. Mom will have my ass and probably pull a shotgun out to inspire us." Chet grinned.

"Now now, Iola, that won't happen. Unless maybe Joe and you get into trouble before being married." Iola shrugged.

"Ain't happened yet." she said. Chet knocked on the side of the car door.

"Knock on wood."

Iola pulled up before the police station 5 minutes later. She pulled her car into the police impound lot. Or what was otherwise known to cops as employee long term parking. They jumped out of the car and ran up the steps to the door and walked briskly down the same hallway as before. Officer McShane smiled to them and gestured to the door.

"Head on in. He's expecting you." he said. Chet smiled, nodding and walked into the Chief's office. Collig looked up then checked his watch.

"Right on time Chet. I just pulled your goods out of the vault and will take you personally to the airport." Chet beamed,

"Great chief. Let's do it." Collig handed him the bag and escorted the group from his office. He led the way down the back hall to the rear exit. He opened the rear door to his prowl car. The group got in and the chief got in behind the wheel. He started the car and quickly burst into traffic.

"Should only take a few minutes, Chet." Collig said as he freely used his flashers to gain easy access through the slow traffic. Chet smiled.

"I like your technique chief! Get's results." Collig nodded with a smile.

"I also do this when I am late to pick my wife up." he said.

Ten minutes later Collig pulled up before the New England air terminal. He got out and opened the rear door when the group slid out.

"This way." the chief led. Looking about for anyone suspicious. He walked into the terminal and up to gate 6. He met the agent.

"Yes, Did Jim call down for the three in first class from my department?" The agent smiled.

"Yes chief. All set. We depart in 15 minutes. They may board now." he said gesturing toward the open gate door. The chief turned to the group. He shook Chet's hand.

"Well chet, this is the best I can for you. Watch your tail in the big city. There are many there who would actually rob that bag just for the dirty clothes." Chet nodded and smiled.

"I believe that. Thanks again chief. We will be in touch." he and the girls waved upon walking up the gateway. They met a flight attendant. Chet smiled.

"Yes, we are with the police. We have three in first class." he said with an air of importance. Iola rolled her eyes. The attendant smiled.

"Of course. We have been expecting you. Please this way." She showed them to three comfortable seats in the front row of the first class section. Chet and the girls made their way into comfortable seats. Chet placed the rucksack between his legs.

"Keep a lookout around the plane and outside.. It's not like we arrived discreetly." he said softly, half expecting to see some swarthy stranger jump onboard before they took off. He kept a firm grip on the bag. Callie placed her hand on his.

"We're gonna be fine. I think we shook any of the troublemakers in the hollow. Mr. Hardy's idea of keeping the boxes that originally held the jewels in plain site was a good plan. I think we fooled them.." Chet smiled and looked over to Callie. Again he looked over her outfit.

"I think Im gonna buy out all of Iola's tops and give them to you Cal." He said admiringly. Callie blushed slightly.

"Like that exposed midsection, do you? I have seen a lot of the younger teenagers wearing their tops like that but never had the guts. Guess I feel I was too fat or Frank may have thought ill of me." Chet snorted.

"You don't have to worry about the fat thing angel. I could bounce a dime of your navel, and then kiss it silly.." Callie giggled.

"Ya like it that much, huh?" Chet smiled mischievously.

"Well, the only thing I can think that would improve it would be a pierced belly button." Callie half smiled and looked off into space a moment.

"God, I've seen that in magazines and again on some of the teens, Wow, I guess I am learning how prudish Frank was. Hmm, gonna have to think about that one though. Sounds painful." Chet gave a chuckle,

"Gee Cal, not like I asked you to pierce your tongue." Callie raised an eyebrow and glanced over.

"Well I am happy to hear that. That just sounds painful." Iola giggled slightly.

"That's what I told Joe. He was curious about it, seeing the young teens out there and wondering. More because it is more thought to be a sexual type of enhancement over individuality statement. But I think he thought it was a turn on none the less." Chet laughed at this.

"Sounds like Joe. Say, maybe you two can get the works done in the city. The make over of all make overs." Callie and Iola smiled.

"Gee, a make over and new clothes and such. If we get $5 grand from Tiffanys we will use it up quick doing that." Chet shrugged.

"You ladies are worth it. Besides $5 grand wouldn't have gone too far towards my bills anyway. Not to mention Callie caught the guy with the jewels. She is definitely entitled to some fun."

A moment later the Captain came over the intercom.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. We will be taking off in about two minutes. Our travel time to JFK will be 53 minutes. After we are airborne the attendants will have drink service for our brief journey. Have a pleasant trip."

A few minutes later the plane lurches forward to the runway. It had a brief wait while another flight landed, then pulled ahead. After a few moments the cabin rumbled as the engines engaged, building pressure. The captain released the foot brakes and the plane shot forward. A few moments of speed building as the jetted down the runway and the plane shot forth into the sky. The jetliner climbed swiftly and within 2 minutes the pilot had leveled off.

"Pretty smooth." Chet remarked at the ease of the take off. Callie paled a little and took a breath.

"Smooth, but still scarey. Was never a huge fan of air travel, but it can be endured. Say, flag that attendant." she said. Iola motioned to a passing attendant. Callie turned to her.

"Yes, could I get a scotch and water?" she asked. The attendant smiled.

"Of course, miss. Will be just a moment." she said hurrying off. Chet raised an eyebrow.

"Scotch?" He asked. Callie gave a smile.

"I need to numb a little. It's as good as a Prozac under the circumstances." Chet gave a chuckled and patted her on her knee.

"I can understand." he smiled and sat back to enjoy a little nap before the trip ended. The attendant brought Callie her drink and she sat back also after downing it.

"I'm gonna catch a snooze too Iola. Can you watch the bag?" she asked closing her eyes. Iola looked over to her.

"Sure." she said half heartedly. She had the slight feeling pass over her that he was perhaps a third wheel and was feeling a bit unappreciated. She had wished Joe was there. She was indeed in need of some attention. She looked over to her brother and best friend. They were good for each other she knew. And if they ended up married she would be quite happy. No offence meant to Frank. He seemed more suited for Tiffany anyway.

The rest of the flight went uneventful. About ten minutes before landing Iola shook her brother awake.

"Hey bro, we are about to land. Tell Callie and get buckled up." Chet blinked a few times, then yawned. He gently shook Callie's shoulder and she came to. She looked up groggily.

"Hi... wow, that scotch really looped me to sleep. I am not a drinker much I guess. Just wanted something that would relax me." Chet grinned.

"Well I think it worked." he said watching her straighten her soft dark blonde hair, then she took out a brush and went to work on it. Momentarily the captain came on the intercom.

"Hello again, we will be landing at JFK airport in about three minutes. We will be starting a decent so please buckle up. Thank you." Chet and Iola put their seats upright and buckled up. Soon after the jetliner took it's decent into New York City. Within a few minutes the plane had made a safe landing. The pilot immediately taxied that aircraft to it's arrival gate.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to New York City. It has been our pleasure serving you and please choose us in the future for all your travel."

Chet and the girls unbuckled and stood up. Chet took the rucksack and placed it around his shoulder. The attendant released the passenger door and directed them.

"Well, this is it." Chet said finally. He led the way off the craft. They entered one of the many concourses that made up the huge JFK airport. They walked swiftly towards the exit to find the taxi run. Another ten minutes of walking brought them to an exit area. They scanned the busy area that was made up of travelers and airport employees. Iola gave a start and pointed.

"There are some." she said excitedly. They three made their way over to a lane of three taxis parked and ready for new fares. Chet signaled to the driver of the first. The driver walked over to the rear doors and opened it and gestured to the ladies who took seats first.

"Would you like your luggage in the trunk?" he asked Chet. Chet smiled, but shook his head.

"No thanks." he said getting in. The driver closed the door and walked to the front door and hopped in. He took out his keys and looked in the rear view.

"Where to?" he asked simply. Chet sat up.

"Please take us to Tiffany & Co main store downtown." The driver tipped his cap.

"Yes, sir." He started the motor and burst into traffic.

Now to just about every New York City cab driver, speed was of the essence because speed meant more fares, thus, more money. Their driver was no different as he sped down the 6 lane highway towards Manhattan. Callie squealed with joy as the driver was giving her quite the ride.

"Wow. This is what I call driving." she said. Chet smiled then looked to Iola.

"That scotch sure goes a long way. Huh?" He said. Iola grinned.

"That's my girl. She never was the drinker." she said watching her friend sit there taking the sharp curves with a big smile.

Another 25 minutes brought them before the grand and historic Tiffany & Co department store. An institution known for being the best in all matters jewelry and other goods that appealed to the affluent. A rich history surrounded the Tiffany name. Once they made the finest art glass and lead glass shade lamps. Some of which now commanded prices in the millions of dollars.

Callie stepped out of the cab and looked up at the grand building, then looked slowly down at her self. She got a concerned look on her face. Chet and Iola stepped onto the curb. Chet handed the driver a couple bills.

"Keep the change, pal." he smiled and drove off. Chet turned and looked at Callie and the expression on her face.

"What's up Callie?" he asked somewhat puzzled. Callie gestured towards the building and the people coming and going from it. Many of which appeared to be dressed in very fine clothing.

"I can't go in there. Look at me! I am wearing borrowed clothes and they look way too casual to be going into a place like this!" Chet smiled to her. He took her close and took her hand.

"Angel, you are as classy and I know are more beautiful than any woman in that place." Callie looked up to him.

"You mean that?" she asked with an air of insecurity, but her trust in him was soon forming into self assurance. She remembered that Frank had been an assuring type of man also, but tended to be less flowing with his emotions and feelings about how he thought. Chet was much more direct and free with the thought he had for her. She liked that. She smiled a bit, chet looked into her eyes.

"Yes, angel, I mean it." He looked over to his sister, who was obviously very proud of her brother and how he treated a lady.

"We'd better go in guys." she said, "lest we forget we are on a major street in New York City with the you know what in the sack. Id hate to get nabbed before we went inside." Callie took a deep breath and nodded.

"I've just never been in a place like this. I mean the best jewelry I have ever got was when Frank got me gold hoop earrings." Chet smiled.

"C'mon, we will go peek at what all the fuss and legends are about." He said taking the bag in the front door. The two ladies followed him. Upon entering the large store which was predominantly made up of expansive glass cases which displayed some of the most attractive jewelry they had ever seen.

They walked along, occasionally getting a glance from a customer who wondered if the three may be 'lost'. Though as a rule, employees could never make aloof gestures or statements of any kind. It was not considered proper at Tiffanys. Not to mention the basis in thought from upper management was probably a directive which more subscribed to the idea of not to judge a book by it's cover. As there had probably been occasion for an occasional millionaire to enter the store wearing a burlap sack. And the more important ideal that they may have lost a valuable sale because an aloof employee treated them badly based on their outward appearance.

Chet gestured for the spellbound ladies to come over to a large display case. Callie and Iola walked up to see Chet before one of the many engagement ring cases. Callie gasped in awe. There were several ring like she had seen in the stolen shipment.

"Oh my God, Chet. These are beautiful!" She said gazing intently. A moment later a gentleman in a suit came over and smiled to them.

"Good day to you. Is there something that the lady may wish to see?" he asked with a slight air of formality. Callie stammered, but Chet smiled. Realizing that all customers, whether or not they were buying customers or looking customers had to be treated equally.

"Why yes, thank you." he turned to Callie.

"Well my dear. What meets with your desire?" he asked her with a mock tone of formality and approving nature. Callie grinned, then looked silently in the case for a while. She then pointed.

"Oh my! That is it. Please, may I see that?" she asked knowing quite well it was better to be able to slip it on her finger for a mere minute than to never at all. The salesman walked over to where she was pointing. He gave a brief smile looking to the ring, then the group.

"Very well, then." he said in an even and respectable tone. He perhaps perceived that they were obviously the 'looking, but never buying' type customers, but as there were no one else at his counter who appeared to need service and that protocol and just simple respect demanded it, he entered a code in a security pad and then took out a key and inserted into another lock. Chet observed the elaborate procedure.

"Quite the routine to go through, huh?" he said half humored. The salesman gave a smile.

"Well, sir, our insurance carrier's tend to be obsessed with procedures... Here we are." he continued pulling out the case Callie had pointed to. He placed it in front of her.

"This is a three stone ring, miss, and sir. The center stone weighs approximately 6.4 carats. It is rated D in color, and the clarity grade,,," he paused, "is flawless." he said.. Iola looked up.

"That is quite rare in itself, is it not?" she asked. The salesman smiled empathetically.

"Oh yes, 99.99 of all diamonds found have flaws. There are very few flawless stones on the market. And to have one that is of this size.. Well, it is most unusual to obtain. Also, on the two smaller stones on either side of the main stone, they are 2.79 carats each. Also D in color and they are internally flawless. Which is, of course, the grade just under flawless. Very exquisite. The ring total weight is just under 12 carats. The setting, is of course platinum. And everything is also, of course, handcrafted to Tiffany's exacting standards which have yet to be equaled by any other jeweler." Chet and the others stood there, somewhat amused by the salesman's pride in the goods he sold. But his formal tones served for quite the deliverance. Callie sighed heavily. It is indeed beautiful, but I'm afraid it's a bit beyond my means." She said with matching formality, knowing damn well she could never afford such a ring not even knowing the price, if she worked for the next 50 years. Chet looked down at it as she tried it on. The fit was perfect. Chet looked up to the salesman.

"Of course the question of the hour being..." He started. The salesman smiled.

"I'm afraid it is a trifle on the high side. The carat weight and flawless grade stones combined make the Tiffany retail price $427,000." Iola's jaw dropped.

"That's more than the house I want." she half gasped. The salesman gave another formal smile.

"Well, miss, even the average Tiffany customer would never purchase such a ring. The price is sadly forbidding to many." Callie watched it gleam on her finger with a mesmerized expression. Chet cleared his throat.

"Well, Cal, perhaps we had better put it back. I'm sure the insurance carrier would appreciate it." The salesman smiled at this statement. Callie nodded sighing heavily.

"Wow, that was a pleasure." she said quietly. The salesman returned the ring to it's case. Then looked up,.

"Now, if your looking for something perhaps a little less in cost..." he started. Chet held up his hand.

"Nothing would be nicer, sir, but at the moment we do have a pressing engagement with Mr. Rabinowitz..." the man looked half startled.

"Mr. Rabinowitz,, sir? Tiffany operations officer,, Rabinowitz?" he asked. Chet nodded.

"Yes. You see my name is Chet Morton. Of the Hardy, Morton and Hardy agency. We have recently recovered a shipment of lost jewelry and were here to return it to him." The salesman looked flustered himself for the first time since they had met him. He smiled profoundly and offered his hand.

"Well now. My name is Edwin George. Senior supervisor of fine jewelry. If you will excuse me, I can call Mr. Rabinowitz's office. I'm sure he will want to see you immediately." he smiled again. Chet returned the smile.

"Of course." he said. Edwin George looked down to the ample rucksack Chet carried.

"Would those be the,,er,," Chet smiled.

"Yes, those are the jewels." Edwin smiled and went to his phone immediately. After what appeared to a hasty exchange of words he returned to the group.

"Please allow me to show you to Mr. Rabinowitz's office personally." he said. A moment later another man in a suit walked up to Edwin's counter.

"Yes, James. I need you to watch this counter. I have some business to attend to." The younger man nodded.

"Yes, sir." he said making his way behind the counter as Edwin hastily exited and gestured to the trio. They followed him to the back of the main room to an elevator. He pressed a button and the door immediately opened. They went in where he pressed a button. The doors closed and the elevator started.

"They are very happy upstairs I can tell you that." he said."Tiffany's is most grateful to you and your agency." Chet smiled.

"All in our day's work it seems." he said. "We just lucked out." a moment later the elevator bell rang and the doors opened. They walked out on the heels of Edwin George. He led them down a long corridors that was extensively decorated in some of the finest items Tiffany had ever produced. Chet whistled softly upon looking at a row of leaded glass lamps that adorned the right side of the hall.

"These lamps are fine. They must be worth..."

"Millions." Edwin George finished. He half smiled "a little inside information for you Mr. Morton, since your obviously of fine moral standing. The art glass and lamps that adorn this single hallway of the executive office wing are insured for over $100,000,000" he said empathetically. Chet raised an eyebrow.

"I shall make sure I don't trip." he said walking near a fine leaded glass dragonfly desk lamp. A moment later they came before a large desk. A woman of middle age in a professional suit looked up. She scrutinized the group. Edwin George stepped froward.

"This is Mr. Morton, he is the individual returning the stolen jewelry shipment." The woman smiled immediately.

"Oh, yes! Mr. Morton. We were advised by the great detective, Fenton Hardy that you had recovered the shipment. My name is Casandra Eckstien. I am one of Mr. Rabinowitz's personal assistants. He will be so pleased to see you." she walked over and shook his hand. Chet smiled then gestured towards Callie and Iola.

"Thank you. This is my sister, Iola, and my assistant and dear friend, Callie Shaw." he said. Ms. Eckstein smiled and shook their hands.

"A pleasure. Please come right in. Mr. Rabinowitz has summoned Tiffany's insurance carrier,, or one of them anyway." She led the way through a pair of huge oak doors to a room that looked bigger than most homes. They walked over to a desk where a genial looking man immediately got up. He walked over to the group smiling. He appeared to be about 50 and very refined in nature.

"Hello. Peter Rabinowitz. Mr. Morton? I presume..." he smiled taking his hand gratefully. Chet shook it.

"Yes, Chet Morton. Mr. Hardy arranged this return as we of course wanted to get these jewels back to their rightful owners.." Mr. Rabinowitz smiled. And gestured towards a large leather sofa and several chairs.

"Please have a seat. Ms. Eckstien, please hold all calls and send in Lebowitz when he gets here." The woman smiled.

"Of course sir." she said turning on her heel and rushing from the room. Peter sat down with the threesome and Mr. George.

"Now please, tell the tale of how you recovered this valuable shipment. I am fascinated to find out. Chet smiled.

"Well, sir. We are on a case in PA and were investigating a kidnaping and apparently it was done by hijackers. Well, one evening, Miss. Shaw and myself were on a stakeout of an area and we spotted a man. We went down to investigate him. He was hold up in this small cabin in the dead of night. Well, Miss. Shaw here apprehended the suspect with three boxes.. We took him and the boxes back to our camp. We investigated the contents of the boxes. My My, we were in for a shock." He said. Peter smiled raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, I am sure you were shocked to find such a treasure in the middle of an old hollow. By the way may I offer you anything? A drink?" Chet smiled.

"Yes, that would be nice. Fiji water if you have it." Peter smiled.

"Of course." he motioned to Mr. George, "You'll find some in the executive dinning room." He turned back to the group.

"Well, Miss Shaw. Tiffanys is eternally grateful to you. What you did was brave beyond anything I could have been capable of. You and Mr. Morton have saved us considerably to say the least..." He was interrupted by the opening of the door and a middle aged man with metal rimmed glasses and briefcase walked in. He headed right over to the group. Mr. Rabinowitz stood and smiled.

"Jon Lebowitz, please meet Chet Morton, Miss Callie Shaw and Miss Iola Morton. Mr. Morton and Miss Shaw personally recovered the jewels." Mr. Lebowitz gave a broad smile and extended his hand to the group.

"Jon Lebowitz, Eastern life and liability group. We are underwriters for Tiffany & Co and were on the hook for the hijacked jewels. It is indeed a pleasure to meet you all." he said warmly. Chet smiled and stood. He pulled out the rucksack.

"Well, indeed a pleasure to meet you also. I am sure you will be wanting these back." he said. Lebowitz smiled broadly.

"Yes, of course. Upon authentication we will be happy to release our portion of the reward funds for the recovery." Chet smiled and removed his short wave from the bag and handed the bag over. Lebowitz took it and smiled.

"If you will excuse me gentleman, and ladies, I will take these downstairs to the diamond room for authentication and accounting. It shouldn't take very long." he excused himself. Peter Rabinowitz smiled profusely. It appeared to be a very good day for him. Chet smiled back.

"Mr. Rabinowitz, I also brought a request from the detective, Fenton Hardy." Peter rabinowitz immediately gave him his full attention.

"Yes, of course Mr. Morton... please." he asked. Chet went into detail about the kidnaped friends and the probability that the jewels would likely get them back and asked how likely it would be to make a set of worthless copies. Mr. Rabinowitz smiled.

"Mr. Morton, I would be glad to help you with this small matter. Actually many of those stolen pieces have a copy already made for perspective buyers who may request one to ward off theft. There are a few I believe that we may have to have duplicated. But I can say assuredly I could have an exact matching copy of all the stolen jewels within 48 hours if that suits you." Chet beamed.

"That would be wonderful, sir." Peter stood up and walked over to his desk. He picked up the phone and spoke at length with someone. Momentarily he came back and took a seat.

"Chet, it's all arranged. You may come back in two days and we will have it ready." Chet nodded gratefully.

"It is much appreciated." Peter waved his hand.

"Chet, you and Miss Shaw have saved our company not only the price of the jewels, but a staggeringly high increase in insurance costs. Our rates of coverage could have gone up as much as 10 for all our stock. And I will stress to say that 10 of our entire stock is astronomical in itself." Chet nodded. A moment later Mr. George walked back in with a silver tray. He placed the drinks before the trio and sat back down.

"Thank you." Callie said gratefully. "Afraid the whole experience has been so incredible I find myself faint." Peter smiled watching her drink.

"My dear, you have no reason to be faint. We are most grateful to you. And soon you will be aware the extent of our gratuity." At that instant Mr. George looked up. He gave Mr. Rabinowitz a sideway glance.

"Oh, sir, I nearly forgot, when I came in there was a matter outside that required your immediate attention." Peter rabinowitz looked somewhat mystified but saw the look on Mr. George's face that suggested he needed to talk to him privately.

"Oh, well then. If you ladies and Mr. Morton can excuse me for a moment, I will take care of this post haste. Mr. George, please direct me to the matter of concern." Chet smiled.

"Not at all, sir." as they watched Rabinowitz and George head out of the office.

Once outside the office, Peter Rabinowitz looked to Mr. George for explanation.

"What is it Edwin? I hate to seem a bad host to the group who just saved us tens of millions of dollars." Mr. George smiled.

"Precisely why I brought you out here. I know of course they will get a reward for the recovery, but if I may bring it to your attention sir, the lady in there was looking quite fanciful upon an engagement ring when I first met their acquaintance. I thought perhaps as a gesture to the lady, since the cash itself may seem insensitive, we might offer it to her as a sign of our sincere appreciation since she did basically risk her life in apprehending the thief." Mr. Rabinowitz smiled approvingly.

"Quite right, George. By all means, go down and wrap it up." Edwin George smiled.

"Right away sir." he said. He was about to turn away when Rabinowitz asked,

"By the way, Edwin, what ring did the lady have fancy for?" Edwin George smiled.

"She selected a three stone, 6.4 and 2.9 sides, D and flawless. Retail $427,000." Rabinowitz raised an eyebrow, then smiled.

"The lady has good taste. Oh, and Mr. George, pick up the sister something nice. Maybe one of the diamond necklaces from the Garland group. In the 20s with a matching bracelet." Mr. George smiled.

"Very good sir. I will be up momentarily with it." Rabinowitz nodded and returned to the office. He walked over to the group.

"My apologies for the intrusion. Work is never done. Please, if There's anything else you need just say the word. Have you been in town long?" Chet shook his head.

"We just arrived directly from the airport." he said. Peter looked sorrowful.

"Then you haven't found a hotel yet?" he asked. Callie shook her head.

"No, not as yet. We hadn't even given it a thought." Mr. Rabinowitz smiled.

"Then please let me arrange for your stay. I know a place that could help you out." He excused himself again to the phone. A moment later Mr. Lebowitz came in the door and walked over with a smile.

"All is well. Every item was accounted for and authenticated. I would again like to express my upmost pleasure at your recovery of these items." Chet smiled and waved a hand.

"Really, it was nothing,," he started. "We were searching for a kidnaper. And this just popped up." Mr. Lebowitz laughed.

"Well it popped right into your honest hands, so for that we are grateful, and there is of course the rewards." Chet looked up.

"Rewards?" as in more than one?" Mr. Lebowitz smiled and gestured.

"Normal procedures are in a case like this that the insurance carrier, or my company, offers a portion of money to recover the items, and the insured matches that equally. So basically it is one reward divided by the two of us to you. And since the items were authenticated and fully accounted for, we will issue you your reward today. As I am sure Mr. Rabinowitz will also do for his half." Callie looked up questioningly.

"That sounds great Mr. Lebowitz, but may I ask if at least one of you can give us your half in cash. We'd like to do a little shopping and most banks we expect wouldn't be interested in cashing a check for us being from ut of town and all." She said. Mr. Lebowitz raised an eyebrow.

"Well, er, I'm not sure... a LITTLE shopping you say? You must have very nice taste. But I'm simply not able to have that much cash on hand." Chet smiled.

"Oh, it's ok. We understand. Not everyone after all has 2500-5000 cash on them. A check will be fine." Mr. Lebowitz gave a startled look to them. He cleared his throat.

"Uhm, may I ask what you think the reward is for the recovery?" he asked. Chet shrugged.

"We figured it to be maybe $5 to 10 thousand." he said. Mr. Lebowitz gestured for them to come over to the desk. They got up and walked over to find Peter Rabinowitz hanging the phone up. He looked up smiling.

"Great news. I have a room for you. Three days..." he was cut off by Mr. Lebowitz.

"Mr. Rabinowitz. The authentication and accounting is done and all is perfect, but more importantly There's the mater of the reward. More so the impression that Mr. Morton and these ladies have as to what the reward is."

"Oh?" Mr. Rabinowitz started..."is there a problem?" Mr. Lebowitz shook his head.

"Oh no! But I just wanted to tell you, sir. Mr. Morton just told me he thought the reward was going to be possibly $5 or even 10 thousand." Mr. Rabinowitz looked shocked. Chet, sensing trouble, looked down to him.

"Of course, if that is too much, I assure you whatever you offer will be fine. We were more than happy to bring you the jewels back for nothing. We aren't in business to get rewards." he said seriously hoping he hadn't offended the men by saying he expected more than what they were going to give him. Though he thought in his mind that $5,000 isn't that much to spare for such a recovery.

Mr. Rabinowitz laughed heartily.

"Oh my. Heheh, " he pressed the intercom button on his desk, "Ms. Eckstien, if you have those checks back from the courier, please bring them in." he continued laughing.. Chet, callie and Iola were feeling slightly uncomfortable. Feeling that they had thought they were asking or expecting too much. They watched the two executives exchange smiles and glances and look back to them. A moment later Ms. Eckstien came into the office and handed each of the executives an envelope.

"Here you are gentlemen." she said and hastened off. Mr. Rabinowitz and Mr. Lebowitz opened the envelopes. Mr. Lebowitz looked down at the check, then looked to Callie and Chet.

"Your names are spelled MORTON and SHAW, correct?" the pair nodded. Mr. Rabinowitz smiled as he checked this spelling on his check also. Lebowitz opened a briefcase and pulled out some forms also. He looked over to Rabinowitz who was smiling broadly. He nodded.

"Uhm, would you like to sit down?" Rabinowitz asked. Chet shrugged.

"No thanks, I'm feeling ok. But would like to apologize if I presumed we would get more than the actual reward was..." Mr. Rabinowitz held up a hand.

"Chet,, chet, say no more. Tiffany's is Very grateful to the two of you. And it is my pleasure to give you this check, which is Tiffany's portion of the reward," he handed Chet the check. "To you and Miss. Shaw." Chet took the check, more than half expecting to see the figure of $1,000. He looked down and started coughing. His eyes scanned the check. He paled. Callie looked alarmed.

"What's wrong, Chet?" she asked concerned. Chet just stuttered and gave her the check. She looked down at it and read it aloud.

"Pay to the order of Chet Morton and Callie Shaw, the sum of $1,925,000.00!!! What?? Is this a mistake??" she asked blankly. Mr. Lebowitz shook his head.

"Neither is this one." he said handing her a check, also for $1,925,000. Callie looked faint. Iola looked stunned as she read the checks in Callie's hands!


	13. Chapter 13

Mr. Rabinowitz spoke up with a smile.

"Perhaps it is best to sit for a moment." he said ushering them back to the sofa. Chet and the girls flopped down as if in a totally stunned daze. Chet looked to the two men.

"This isn't a joke then." The two men shook their heads. Lebowitz spoke up.

"You and Miss. Shaw recovered $38,500,000.00 worth of jewels. Tiffany and my underwriter both issued a 5 reward for the full recovery of the lost items. So your total reward is in fact $3,850,000.00." Callie with her hands shaking tremendously looked down again at the checks.

"These are ours to go and cash?" she still said disbelieving. Lebowitz smiled.

"Well, they are after you sign these forms anyway." he said offering her and Chet a pen and some forms to sign. With nervous hands she and Chet signed the insurance forms and looked at each other in total disbelief. They looked to Iola who was still wide eyed and in a daze. They handed the forms back to the insurance man. He smiled.

"Well, that does it for me. Again, my eternal gratitude for all your efforts in this matter. I wish you all well. I'm afraid I must now go to keep other appointments." he shook hands all around and walked out of the office. Peter Rabinowitz was smiling to them.

"You are quite shocked aren't you?" they all nodded. Callie was in tears.

"This is like winning a lottery or something. I am just in shock." Peter nodded.

"You will recover my dear I am quite sure. Now then, I will write down the hotel and address on this paper and you can go and get some rest, if you can. They will be expecting you. You are my guests so all formalities such as charges and so forth have been taken care of." Chet smiled still amazed

"That is quite good of you. You have done so much." Peter grinned.

"Well, it is Tiffany's nature to reward the good in the world. You have saved us greatly and this is the least we can do." A moment later a knock came on the door and Mr. George entered. He carried a large briefcase. He walked over to the group.

"Mr. Morton, I noticed you had a small shortwave set and I took the liberty of getting you this alligator bag to store it in, and in the future your paperwork and other things. He popped it open and took Chat's radio and placed it inside quickly.

"Here you are." he smiled. Chet took the bag and looked at it.

"Wow.. That is nice. Thank you Mr. George." Mr. George nodded. "Not at all." The group rose and exchanged handshakes all around. Peter and Edwin waved the group a cheery goodbye as they left the office barely able to walk straight. Peter looked at George.

"I trust you placed the gifts in the bag?" Edwin nodded.

"I ran into Mr. Lebowitz. He explained the shock of what happened. So I thought it best to sneak in that last surprise for later. I'm not sure the lady could have absorbed receiving a free half million dollar ring." Peter smiled.

"Probably not. heh. I like happy endings."

In the elevator the three were still in shock looking at each other.

"Can you believe this?" chet asked holding the two checks. He and the girls were in a daze. The elevator bell rang on the main floor and let them out. They walked slowly to the door and exited.

"We need a cab." Iola said. "I don't think we can walk anywhere in our condition." Chet nodded.

"Quite right. There's a cab down the block." They ran for it. Luckily it was on duty and they hopped in. Chet looked at the piece of paper he got from the Tiffany CEO.

"Driver, I need to go to the Ritz Carlton." the cabbie nodded and drove. The group sat back breathing heavy. Chet looked over to Callie.

"So, how does it feel going from $500 in the bank to being a millionaire?" she just shook her head in disbelief.

"I am still trying to figure out what we did to deserve that." Iola smiled.

"You just were at the right place at the right time. It happens. Not very often but now that you have it you can't deny it. Think of all the good you two can do. For yourselves and others." Chet and Callie nodded.

"This is very true." Callie said happily. Five minutes later the cab came up before a grand looking hotel.

"Ritz Carlton, sir. $16.55 please." Chet took out a $50 bill and offered it.

"Keep the change sir. Have a nice day." The cabbie smiled.

"This will help. Thanks!" The three walked slowly into the large hotel. It spoke of stature and respect by its presence. They made their way wide eyed to the main desk. A clerk was immediately in front of them.

"Yes, may I assist you please?" she asked pleasantly. Chet spoke up.

"Yes, we have reservations made by Peter rabinowitz of Tiffany & Co..." without another word, the woman smiled broadly.

"Of course. Chet Morton, Callie Shaw and Iola Morton. We've been expecting you. Welcome to the Ritz." She snapped a finger.

"Front!" she said firmly. A bellboy rushed to the desk.

"Yes, Ma'am." the bellboy said. She smiled pleasantly.

"Penthouse please. Waste no time." she looked back to the group. "I am Miss. Wiss. If I can be of any service please call down without hesitation. Also our concierge is on duty 24 hours and will look out for your every desire. It is very nice to have such important people staying here with us. I hope your stay will be most enjoyable." She said. Chet and the girls smiled.

"I am sure we will be very comfortable. Thank you for your sterling service, Miss. Wiss." he said and followed the bellboy to the elevator. He inserted a key into the elevator panel by the box marked PF. He turned to the group, and handed them another key.

"You will require this key to access the penthouse floor. This is so that you are not disturbed." Chet nodded.

"Great." he said. A few minutes later they were getting off on the top floor. The bellboy showed them into the penthouse. An expansive open floor suite taking up over 4,000 square feet. After showing the group an extensive list of in room amenities. He smiled and excused himself.

Chet, Iola and Callie stood there looking at each other in the middle of the finest room in the city.

"This is just too much to believe!" Iola said looking about the open floor. You could live here forever!"

"Oh Chet, Iola, look at the view!" Callie yelled from the open deck. It afforded a full and beautiful view of the city.

"Beautiful." Iola said. She dropped back into a large sofa. Callie also sat down. Chet began to head for the kitchen

"Like a drink ladies?" he asked.

"Yes!" they said together. Chet sauntered into the kitchen and opened the full sized ice box. He smiled upon finding several bottles of champagne. He removed a bottle and found glasses nicely placed by the ice box. He grabbed three and returned to the sofa. The girls looked up and smiled.

"Champagne!" Iola cried. "Cool." Chet nodded reading the label.

"Bollinger 67, I'd say so! This stuff costs about a grand a bottle." he popped the bottle open and poured three glasses full. He looked to his sister and Callie and raised a glass.

"We are indeed fortunate. May we thank God. But also, let us hope our friends are safe and that this case gets wrapped up." they drank.

"Excellent" Callie said sitting back. Iola looked over to her brother and noticed his back pocket. She shook her head unbelievably.

"Chet, don't tell me that you have those two checks for nearly $4 million dollars carelessly stuffed into your back pocket!?" Chet looked over his shoulder and felt his pocket. He grinned sheepishly.

"I guess I do. Sorry." Callie sat up.

"Say Chet, maybe put those in your new briefcase. They will be safer there until we get to a bank." Chet nodded.

"Right you are Cal. I will do it right now." He sat at the sofa and took out the case. He looked admiringly at it.

"Sure is a nice case. Bet it cost about $500 at least. Sure was nice of them." Callie and Iola nodded with a smile. Chet opened the case and was about to deposit the checks in it. He pulled out his radio then noticed two boxes with the now familiar light blue Tiffany & Co logo on them. They had cards attached. Chat picked one of the boxes up and read the card. He smiled to his sister.

"They didn't forget you sis. Says: To Iola Morton, very best wishes, Peter Rabinowitz." He handed his sister the box. She took it nervously.

"What do you think it is?" she said. Chet shrugged.

"No idea. Maybe a watch or a stationary set. He knew you were the agency's secretary. Tiffany does sell some nice desk sets. Iola undid the white silk ribbon and popped open the box. She gasped.

"Oh my word!" she held open a large black felt box to show a very lovely necklace made of platinum and diamonds in a leafage motif. As well as a matching bracelet. Callie screamed.

"They are great Iola. Oh my. When you aren't wearing them, if that ever occurs, I'd love to wear them. They are beautiful." Iola picked up the necklace. She turned.

"Chet, could you help me?" she asked with shaky hands. She handed him the necklace and turned for him to fasten it around her neck. He took it and was about to place it around her neck when he realized there was a small sticker subtly placed under the main strip of platinum.

"Just a second Iola, I need to remove this little tag off it." he said making careful effort to remove the small tag affixed to it. "Oh my." he said. Iola turned around.

"What? She asked. Chet held up the little piece of paper.

"Guess Mr. George was in a rush, he left this tiny tag on it. Care to see how much?" Iola grabbed the tag as any woman would do. She squinted and read. Her eyes rolled back.

"Oh my. $32,900.00!!" she fell back a bit. Chet took up the bracelet and looked at it. Sure enough a tiny label was affixed to it also. He peeled it off and scanned it. He smiled.

"This one shouldn't make you feel too bad sis. It was only $18,000.00." Iola held out her hand.

"Put it on me Chet." Chet affixed the bracelet. The she turned while he put on the necklace. She turned and smiled to them. Callie had a big smile.

"It's beautiful, Iola. Joe will flip out! Looks like the perfect jewelry to wear with a wedding gown!" She said enviously. Iola looked back at the case.

"Wasn't there two boxes in there, Chet??" she asked. Chet looked back in the case. Sure enough another box was there. He picked it up and read it. He got a confused look on his face. He looked up.

"Says: To my Angel, Callie. From your dearest, Chet." Callie looked over to the box. Chet handed her the box with still a slightly confused look.

"You look confused hun." she said, "do you know what he meant by this?" Chet shook his head slightly numb. He pushed the box towards her.

"Open it. Maybe we will find out." he said softly. She took it nervously and undid the white ribbon. Iola looked over the pair with great interest. Callie opened the blue box to find a smaller black felt box. She took a deep breath. Then opened it. A second later tears flooded her face. Chet and Iola looked into the box to see the very same ring that Callie had tried on in Tiffany's earlier that day!

"Oh my!" Chet stammered. He looked at Callie who was weeping with joy. She took the ring and held it between her finger and thumb. She watched it. Again mesmerized. Covering her mouth with her other hand as she wept. Chet looked into her eyes. Gave a soft smile to her. He took the ring. Looked at it for a moment and breathed deeply. He got off the couch and found himself on one bended knee in front of Callie.

"Callie..." chet began. Iola gasped. Callie still crying with a very big smile on her face. "I have no doubt in my mind, after knowing you for so many years and finding you in good and bad times, that I am totally and uncontrollably in love with you..." She wept louder and started shaking. "I have loved you for so long I cant think. If you don't think it's too soon, would you consider marrying me?" he finished with a kiss to her hand as he slipped the ring onto her finger. Callie looked down at it, and at the man who just asked for her hand in marriage. She smiled deeply and nodded freely.

"Yes... yes of course I will marry you!." she collapsed into his arms and they embraced.

They sat in each others arms for some time. Iola smiled at them from the couch while she drank champagne. This huge change of events was definitely requiring a drink. She stood up and walked over to the window the big city. It was a city of miracles. She stood there gazing out upon the afternoon sun for what seemed like several minutes. She was soon joined by Chet and Callie. They both seemed quite happy. Callie was wiping the tears from her eyes. Chet had his arm around her. Iola smiled at the pair.

"Well hello there. I see that love does conquer all." Chet smiled.

"With a little help from an experienced salesman from Tiffany's." Callie nodded.

"We must remember him always. I think he arranged the ring being mysteriously left in the briefcase. To see that they made a gesture to the tune of half a million dollars in jewelry over the cash reward is simply astounding." She sighed looking down at the beautiful ring as it shone in the bright sunlight. Iola took another drink.

"Well, not to seem impetuous to the newly engaged couple. But don't we have a little shopping and make over business to attend to?" Callie nodded.

"Oh yes." she looked at Chet. "Can you live without me for a few hours? Iola and I would like to paint the town over. Or get painted over."

Chet smiled.

"Not at all Angel. In fact I will feel better if I go and do some banking. I'd like to go open an account. If I could get you to come with me as your name is also on the checks, I will gladly cut you loose into the city for your shopping experience." Callie nodded,

"There is a Bank of New York across the street." she said. He nodded.

"Great! Shall we go?" he gestured towards the door. The girls followed happily. Chet and the two happy ladies followed him to the elevator. He pushed the button and within 30 seconds the elevator door opened. They stepped in and were whisked down to the main floor. They exited the hotel and were soon seated comfortably in the Bank of New York office. It took very little time for Chet and Callie to open a bank account. Depositing nearly four million dollars had that effect. They soon left the bank with ready to use banking cards and a letter of credit. Chet grinned to the ladies as he handed Callie her card.

"All right ladies. The moment of truth. You are armed with nearly unlimited funds and a desire. Those are great things. I am going to tend to some business while here. First I will take the bank managers personal advise and see that investment broker he recommended. It couldn't hurt putting a little cash into the market and take a spin. Then I have some other business to attend to." he said without elaborating. Callie and Iola were about ready to burst. Callie wrapped her arms around Chet and kissed him.

"We won't take all day,, I promise." she kissed him again. "I love you." she said clearly with an intent look into his eyes. Chet smiled and felt a nervously happy feeling from within.

"I love you too, Angel." he said softly. At this point Iola brushed up against her brother.

"I love you too." she said attacking him with an exaggerated amount of kisses. The two girls waved and walked on down the street and blended in with the thousands of others milling about on that busy New York afternoon.

Chet stood there with a silly grin on his face. Silly perhaps because a short week or so ago he was in a reasonably unhappy relationship with a superficial woman. He was quickly going into debt, though admittedly it was by his own hand. Though he sensed it was an attempt to fill a void. A void perhaps that was there for a long time. A feeling of unhappiness. Callie, in one single swoop had made him happier than he had ever felt before. He walked along, pretty much without a care in the world.

Chet took a cab to the financial district, upon the recommendation of the president of the Bank of New York, who as it had been was a personal friend of Peter Rabinowitz. He sent Chet to the same brokerage office strongly recommending he follow the advise given. After two hours with a broker by the name of Devitch, also the personal broker of Peter Rabinowitz, Chat had made a fair sized investment. He seemed nervous about it but not knowing to an excess about the stock market and that it was obvious that people like Peter Rabinowitz were likely making good money off the market Chet smiled and shrugged it off as an experience. Chet had also inquired of a reliable real estate broker whom he might see on short notice. He was directed to another member of the Rabinowitz business circle. Chet walked into offices of Hedron real estate services. A middle aged woman with wire rimmed glasses looked up from her desk to him.

"Yes, may I help you?" she asked. Chet smiled pleasantly.

"Yes, I was directed here to see a Mr. Zimmerman on the advise of Peter Rabinowitz..." The woman looked back up immediately.

"Of course sir. Please. Just one moment. And your name?"

"Mr. Morton." he said. The woman picked up the phone and after a few guarded words looked back up.

"Mr. Zimmerman will see you immediately." she said gesturing him to follow her. She ked Chet through a maze of halls and came to a large oak door and rapped sharply upon it.

"Yes?" came a voice. The woman gestured for Chet to enter. They walked in and found a man in his 30s with sharp features and metal glasses. He looked up. He smiled accordingly.

"Mr. Morton?" Chet nodded. He smiled again.

"Great. Please sit down. That will be all Sharla." he said to the woman who had escorted him in. She nodded and walked out the door. Mr. Zimmerman shook Chet's hand and took a seat.

"I have heard a little about you, Mr. Morton. You were the detective who recovered the Tiffany jewels. That is quite impressive." he said in awe. Chet grinned.

"Well it was a bit on an adventure but nothing out of the realm of what happens in our business." Zimmerman grinned,

"None the less, it is quite the accomplishment. At any rate, please, how may I assist you?" Chet looked up.

"Well, there is a house I am interested in back home and I'd like to have a broker see if they can secure a better price and then expedite the deal." Zimmerman smiled.

"Of course, of course. Please give me the details. What real estate agent is listing it?"

"Bayport east properties." He went on to add detail to the property Iola had shown Callie and him earlier that day.

"They were asking $399,000 I believe, but I really don't know how long it was listed and so forth..." Zimmerman nodded.

"Should be a simple matter really." he said, "it's when a house isn't for sale that one of my client's must have becomes the difficult part. But generally all matters can be overcome with the right amount of influence." he said ending the statement by rubbing his thumb against his fingers in a gesture that suggested paying lots of money. He picked up the phone.

"Deborah, get me Bayport East real estate on the phone, yes, in the same city. Thank you." He hung up and looked back over.

"This shouldn't take much time. Do you know anything about the sellers? Well to do? Needing to sell for financial reasons?" Chet shook his head.

"The only thing I know is it was an 1858 home and thus far kept in the same family." Zimmerman perked a little.

"Sometimes that can be a good thing. Often when you have family members that have inherited a home and they don't wish to keep the family tradition, a little cash generally speaks volumes. They have to true desire to keep the house. If it was sentimental to them they wouldn't dream of selling great gramma's house. So it is likely a family who prizes money greater, or several family members fighting over assets and the home needs to be liquidated to satisfy interests." Chet nodded. It made sense. A moment later the phone rang. He answered it.

"Yes, this is Robert Zimmerman with Hedron real estate in New York City. I am inquiring of one of your properties located on the outer bay road there in Bayport. It is a historical home. Yes, that would be the one. Can I have the MLS number on that please?... yes, 7474505B. Got it. Let me tap it into the system and pull that file up through the central listing computer." he went about changing computer screens and entered the number given. The real estate listing indeed popped up on his office computer. He slightly tilted the screen to let Chet see. He picked the phone back up. "Yes, Cindy, I have it up now. It has been for sale for only two weeks?? I see. I am noticing here your disclosure of damages cites potential roof concerns. Any other details? Totally original condition cosmetically kept perfect. But you know Cindy that with a home that old without updates we are talking quite likely to be a need for new plumbing and the home is likely also full of asbestos. Well, I am just pointing out the obvious attention it will need. Yes,, well I am glad you concede that.. I have a serious client with cash, but we need to find a more realistic price. Good, I am glad the sellers need to sell. But a house that size with a new roof, all new plumbing and the costly job of removing asbestos. Those factors right there suggest to me over $100,000 in repairs. Yes, I know. What can I do as far as an offer... well lets see. I can safely authorize a $300,000 offer. And that would be cash and an immediate sale since no one is living there, all the easier... yes, yes of course. My number here to my office is 212-237-9090. Yes, I will have my client in the office for, say another 30 minutes at best..." chet looked at the man with an amused, but impressed look. He had apparently been doing property deals all his life. "Yes, you can reach me right here. Yes, thank you Cindy. Bye now" he said hanging up.

"She sounded like she wants a quick sale for her commission. I think she will try to push the offer to the seller. She didn't seem to want to milk the price realizing the repairs would likely be costly. Of course somewhere along the way it is more likely that they already removed the asbestos and may have updated the plumbing. I was just playing on her inability to know these things that if she were truly a professional, she would know without blinking." Chet nodded with a smile.

"Yes, you would think so." he said. They sat around for another 15 minutes when Zimmerman's phone rang. He scooped it up.

"Robert Zimmerman." he said. "Yes, Cindy. Uhm hmm. Yes, I think it's possible. Can you hold a moment? Thank you." He placed his phone on hold and looked to Chet.

"She says yes, if you can guarantee funds within 48 hours to close. Obviously they want it done quick so they can sign off on it and leave town." Chet smiled at his luck, then nodded.

"Yes, by all means. I can meet them at closing in day after tomorrow with a check." he said gratefully. Zimmerman smiled and picked the phone back up.

"Yes, Cindy. My client can do that. Fax me a contract and I will return it complete and he can be at closing in two days with a certified check. Yes, it's 212-235-2400. Yes, right. Will be in touch and he will see you on Friday. Thanks again. Goodbye." He smiled hanging up the phone.

"If only all transactions went so smooth to where I could peel 25 off within half an hour. Of course here in the city 100k is pretty easy to get taken off many properties. But where your from, real estate is a bit more modest in price so it was a nice to get it done for you for so low. Im sure it's a great house looking at these photos in the listing," he said studying the listing on his main screen, "this house out on long island would run 3 million easy and you simply couldn't find it in the city. If you ever did, double that figure. That's a great buy, Mr. Morton." he said with compliment. Chet beamed.

"My sister should like it." he said thoughtfully. Robert Zimmerman smiled, impressed.

"Quite a gift. I should be getting the fax within record time and I can send a courier over to your hotel for a signature. Since your closing with the entire amount in certified fund in less than two days you wont need to bother with a deposit." Chet smiled.

"Great, and now, what do I owe you for expediting the paperwork and your services?" Zimmerman smiled broadly.

"That was too easy a deal, Chet. I couldn't charge you a fee in good conscience. All I did was make a phone call. I will send off a fax or two and that will be the extent of my service. It's not like I had to go beat bushes or talk to annoying sellers who quibble over every dime. Peter Rabinowitz being saved so much money is good enough. He's a great man and gives me plenty of business." Chet beamed.

"Yes, he seemed to be very pleasant. So, I should be off. I will at the Ritz Carlton penthouse for the benefit of the messenger." Zimmerman nodded and the two rose from their chairs. After exchanging pleasantries, they shook hands and Chet departed. He found himself walking down Broadway. He took in the rich cultural scenery and grabbed a bite.

After sitting at a curb side café and watching the parade of life, Chet realized he had better get back to the hotel. He hailed a cab. Ten minutes later he got out of the cab in front of the majestic Ritz Hotel. Chet walked through the lobby. A number of employees smiled and said hello to him.

"News travels fast." Chet thought with a laugh. He walked to the elevator bank and inserted the key that was given to him and hit the penthouse key. Soon the express elevator brought him back up to the grand suite which he had been in earlier thanks to the kindness of the Tiffany & Co president. He noted that Callie and Iola had not yet returned. Not especially alarming considering that they were in the largest city in the world with nearly unlimited means of spending. He walked tot he icebox and took out a beer from the well stocked ice box. He walked to the outside deck and looked out over the city. He looked out onto the city. He realized quite suddenly that he was now an engaged man. Engaged to a woman he had adored most of his life. The idea of having a wife and maybe even a child brought great contentment to him. He smiled to himself thoughtfully. It had never struck him that this could be, He sauntered around the deck. Fond thoughts ran through his mind. He thought how happy Iola would be when she found out she was going to live in the home of her dreams. As if to answer the thought the buzzer sounded. Chet looked over and walked to the entry. He opened the double doors. A bellboy escorted a young courier.

"Yes, sir. This courier arrived with a packet for your immediate attention." the bellboy said. Chet smiled and nodded.

"By all means. What do you have for me?" he asked. The courier smiled and handed Chet a packet. Chet took it and ripped it open. It was a signed contract for the home of Iola's dreams. Mr. Zimmerman had highlighted all the spots that Chet needed to fill out. Chet took out a pen and promptly filled out the forms and signed them. He returned them to the packet and handed the courier a $50 bill.

"Here you are. Thanks for coming so fast." He said. The courier smiled.

"Thank you sir!" he said graciously. Chet tipped the bellhop as well and they vanished back down the elevator.

Chet picked his beer bottle back up and took a drink. He walked about the huge suite and looked down at the copies of the contract to see all the info. He was quite happy with the deal he got. He folded up the papers and smiled to himself.

A moment later he heard a door open. He smiled suspecting it was the girls. He turned to see his sister standing before him. Her once long dark hair was now a short pixie cut. Her makeup was subtle, but seductive. She wore a crop top that cut just above her navel. She wore tight jeans and leather sandals. An ankle bracelet adorned her leg. And she of course sported the beautiful necklace and bracelet from Tiffanys. Chet also noted his sister apparently had a black push up bra holding her firm chest in place. Chet's mouth had dropped half open.

"Wow! Hi sis. You are my sister, right??" he asked giving her the once over. Iola smiled.

"You really like it?" she asked. Chet nodded.

"Oh yeah. Why could you think I wouldn't??" Iola blushed.

"Well, it's just such a big change..." Chet grinned.

"Joe is going to not be able to keep his hands off you. And by the way, where is my wife to be?" Iola took a breath.

"Well, she's here,, just a bit apprehensive. She's afraid she made too big of a change." Chet smiled.

"Come on. I can take it. There's nothing that would turn me off." Iola giggled.

"Ok big boy. Ya better sit down." She pushed Chet down mockly on the sofa.

"This is gonna be great." Chet said with anticipation. Iola looked behind a wall gesturing to Callie. Chet took a breath. His mouth gaped wide upon the site before him, His fiancé, Callie Shaw stood before him looking self conscious. Her once long blonde hair was now cut shoulder length and slightly darkened. She wore a crop top that was reasonably tight but better fitting her as opposed to the one she borrowed from Iola. She wore very conforming, but not overly tight Donna Karan low rider jeans. Conservative looking black leather boots. She also sported metal framed spectacles. Callie normally wore contacts but had heard Chet mention apparently that he liked glasses on a woman. He looked down slowly at this amazing transformation and stopped short at the belly button noticing that she had indeed had it pierced! A gold ring was in place. And of course the platinum and diamond engagement ring on her finger.

"Wow!.. and I mean wow! Callie, my angel, you are beautiful! I love it! And the piercing. My god that is so sexy! And those jeans. God, I love those hips. It is perfect. The right places exposed and in such a tasteful way. And I love the hair. Very 20 something Jodie Foster. It is incredible! Do you like it??" Callie gave a giggle and smiled broadly!

"Yes, I love it. I was just hoping you would." Chet smiled broadly.

"It is absolutely stunning Cal. I don't know how you could improve it!" Iola cleared her throat. Smiling to Callie.

"Well, there is one last thing." Iola said gesturing to Callie. Callie smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Chet, there is one last thing." Chet stood up looking.

"What is it?" he asked anxiously. Callie took a breath and turned her back to Chet. Chet looked to her back. He smiled broadly upon what he saw. Located in the small of her back was a tattoo. An Aerosmith wings tattoo!

"Oh baby! That is hot! This is so perfect!" he said as she turned with a smile. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him solidly.

"I love you." She told him. Chet kissed her again.

"I love you too, Angel. You are absolutely stunning." he told her. She smiled to him.

"Well, I have always dreamed of a look like this but had never dared it before. And God, that tattoo hurt like Hell, and I didn't realize that when you first get one it looks all inflamed like that, but they said it would look like a normal tattoo in a few days." Chet nodded.

"That is so cool! You really wanted to get one, didn't you?" Callie smiled broadly.

"Oh yeah! I just never thought I would actually do it."" she took a deep breath.

"I think out of everything the toughest choice was actually chopping the hair. But I couldn't go as far as Iola did." She said running a few fingers through Iola's sparse pixie. Iola giggled.

"I love this. This is so much easier to have I think. And I will guess Joe will like it." Chet nodded excessively.

"If he doesn't I will switch to being an Arkansas Mormon." He joked. Iola giggled.

"You're a sick little boy, aren't you?" she joked. Chet nodded.

"Probably." He walked over to Callie and took her hands and looked into her deep crystal blue eyes.

"Well now. Are you all dressed up with nowhere to go" he asked. Callie nodded. Then giggled.

"Of course there are about twenty more bags of clothes out in the entryway." Chet nodded approvingly. A moment later the phone rang. Chet walked over and scooped it up.

"Hello?... yes, this is he. Yes. Great.., that would be fine. And thank him for being so expedient and give him our warmest thanks for the suite and the very generous jewelry. It was so above and beyond anything we had ever dreamed of. Yes. Very good. Thanks! Bye now!" He said hanging the pone up. He turned to the others.

"One of Peter Rabinowitz's assistants. They said most of the jewels already had ready duplicates and they only have four pieces they need to duplicate, so the fakes will be ready in the morning." Callie smiled.

"So, that puts us out of here a whole day ahead of time?" Chet nodded.

"Which will get us back to the hollow sooner overall.." the phone again rang. Chet raised an eyebrow. He picked the phone up again.

"Hello? Yes, speaking." He stood there close lipped as the voice of Robert Zimmerman was on the other end. He was asking if it were possible to get back to Bayport tomorrow to wrap up the deal as the agent had called him back and noted that yes, they did have a signed deal, but another party had expressed interest at a higher price and if too much time elapsed they might easily discover the owner's identity and try to deal directly with them. Chet nodded.

"Yes, tomorrow would be fine. 2 PM. Perfect. Will be there. Thanks for the heads up and pass the ok along. Thanks. Bye now" he hung up the phone and turned to the others.

"Just a banker I met today. Wanted to remind me I was needed tomorrow afternoon for some business. Anyway, since this is apparently our last night here, how about seeing a show and some dinner?" The women readily agreed and went for the large quantity of packages in the entryway.

"I have just the dress for the occasion." Callie said and she took an armful of bags and headed for one of the many rooms. Iola, too, was loaded with packages and smiled at Chet as she made her way to the room. Chet stood around looking over the big city as dusk set. He walked over to the phone and called down to the concierge desk.

"Yes, this is Mr. Morton. I was wondering if I could find a good set of theater seats for this evening? Yes.. That would be fine. Very nice of you. Thanks" he hung up. Within 5 minutes the door ell rang and Chet walked over to the entryway and was greeted by a bellhop. She brought out an envelope.

"With the manager's compliments, sir." she said. Chet handed her a bill.

"Thanks." he said with a smile. He opened the envelope to find three seats for Phantom of the Opera. Chet smiled and pocketed the tickets. It had just then occurred to him that he was slightly underdressed for the occasion. He knew the hotel and a full service men's shop. With that knowledge he hopped into the elevator and headed down. Now a man could typically pick out a suit within a very short time. Chet walked into the hotel's extensive men's shop. A well dressed older man, chet guessed to be clearly of Italian decent, stepped up with a smile.

"May I be of some assistance to you??" he asked. Chet smiled.

"Mr. Morton, penthouse" he said somewhat uncomfortably. The man smiled.

"Of course. I am Angelo, you are in need of a suit perhaps?" Chet nodded looking down at his casual attire that was looking more out of place in the hotel by the minute.

"Yes, Angelo, that would be very nice." He said. Angelo smiled and looked at Chet from top to bottom for a couple moments.

"We can of course make measurements, but may I speculate you are a 48 suit. 38 waist and 32 inseam??" Chet nodded slowly, somewhat astounded by the speculation of Angelo.

"Why yes, Angelo. I see you know your job very well." Chet said impressed. Angelo waved to the side.

"Very easy after 25 years. Come. May I show you some of these..." Chet followed Angelo. Within 45 minutes time Chet had three Italian suits and 3 pair of shoes. Along with shirts, ties and gold cufflinks. Chet stood attired in one very nice dark grey silk suit and black leather shoes. Angelo looked to him approvingly.

"Very nice Mr. Morton, Sir. Absolute perfection." Chet smiled as he stood before the counter. "How much do I owe you, my friend?" Angelo punched away on the computer.

"Mr. Morton of the penthouse. According to the hotel computer you are not to be charged for anything you select." Chet raised an eyebrow.

"Really? The gratitude of Mr. Rabinowitz goes a long way." Angelo smiled deeply and haded over the other suits and shoes neatly wrapped.

"Especially at $5,000 per suit. You must have impressed someone high up." Chet shuttered slightly. He didn't have the slightest clue of the suits prices since none of them were priced.

"Well Angelo, I am beginning to think that." he said with a smile. "It was very good to have your assistance." he said handing him a pair of $100 bills. Angelo smiled gratefully.

"Very good of you, Mr. Morton, sir. Have a pleasant evening." With a wave Chet headed back to the elevator. He turned the key into the panel and was whisked swiftly upward. He looked himself over in the mirror of the elevator. Obviously impressed at his own transformation. The elevator stopped and he stepped into the entryway of the penthouse.

"Honey, I'm home." he called with an air of humor as he walked into the main living area. He found a sight to behold. His true love stood there in a very attractive black dress. The hemline coming down to above the knee view to Callie's perfect legs adorned in black silk stockings down to a pair of very classy black leather heels. She was indeed a sight to behold. Iola wore a very attractive short black skirt with stockings and a silk top. Her diamond necklace and bracelet accenting the outfit to perfection.

"Wow. Again. I am in the presence of the two most beautiful women in the city." He said with awe. Callie and Iola stood with equal smiles on their faces as they saw Chet in a dark Italian silk suit. Callie nodded with a look in her eye that suggested she was totally impressed.

"You are so handsome." she said with a big smile. Iola nodded.

"Oh yeah. My brother has assailed to an all new level. But I think Callie can help make it perfect."" chet looked up.

"Oh, really?" he asked. Callie nodded and handed him a small box.

"Here you go sweetie. I thought of you when I saw this." Chet smiled and took the box. He opened the wrapping quickly and found a hard leather box. He opened it and his eyes went wide. Inside was a silver Tag Heuer chronograph watch. Chet whooped. He took it out of the box and immediately placed it on his wrist.

"Wow, Cal, a Tag! It is great. Thank you Angel." He said. Callie kissed him.

"I just thought it would be a nice accent to be sure." Chet smiled to her.

"This is all turning out so wonderfully. And now, we have tickets to a show. Phantom, no less. Shall we go?" Callie and Iola smiled and took either of Chet's arms and walked out of the suite. Upon reaching the main level they walked across the lobby. A man came out from behind the concierge desk.

"Mr. Morton, would you require a vehicle for your evening sir?" the man, middle aged and very professional and accommodating in nature smiled to Chet. Chet nodded.

"Why certainly. Thank you very much." He said. The concierge snapped a finger and directed a man in a cap to their direction.

"Mr. Morton would require a car this evening, William. Please take him wherever he desires." The driver tipped his cap.

"Yes, sir." He turned to the group. Then smiled.

"Please come with me." Chet and the ladies followed him out of the front door and to what appeared to be the largest limousine they had ever seen. He opened the rear door and gestured to them, helping them in. Chet and the ladies looked about the posh surroundings with approval. Callie was shaking her head.

"This has to all be a dream! I just can't believe it." Iola nodded somewhat in shock.

"When Tiffanys wants to show their gratitude, they certainly do so in grand style." she said sitting back. Chet picked up the phone.

"Yes, Majestic theater please, driver." he said and replaced the phone. The limo pulled out into the evening traffic and headed towards the theater district.

The evening was quite an experience for Chet and the ladies. They enjoyed a show and one of the finest dinners they had ever experienced. At one in the morning the limo brought them back to the hotel where they alighted. Slightly tipsy from the 4 bottles of Bollinger champagne. They headed directly up to their suite. The elevator started moving. Callie a little dizzy ended up leaning into Chet's arms for support. She looked into his eyes with an evil grin.

"Chet, my sweet Chet. Can I ask you something?" Chet smiled.

"Of course, angel." he said. Callie grinned. Looked about. Seeing Iola who was also somewhat buzzed grinning at her.

"Chet, did you ever do it in an elevator?" she asked with a giggle. Chet smiled, then shook his head.

"Has never happened Cal." he said. Callie gave another giggle.

"You want it to happen?" she asked. Chet cleared his throat. Smiled, but wasn't intoxicated enough to appreciate the thought totally, despite it highly intriguing him.

"Well Cal, much as I'd love to.. For one this elevator is probably in pretty high demand. And another, I doubt Iola would enjoy it." Iola gave a brief giggle.

"Don't mind me bro. Though your probably right, we'd likely get in trouble of some kind and I'm not quite sure how I would handle watching you do my best friend. Pretty intimate idea. I guess Im a bit of a prude." she smiled. Chet laughed.

"I can understand that Iola. Mom would freak if she even heard us discussing the theory of it." he smiled. A moment later the elevator stopped at their suite. They alighted and walked into the huge suite. Iola raced for the restroom.

"Too much champagne." she said over her shoulder. Callie turned to Chet.

"Well now that we are alone..." she said wrapping her arms around him. She kissed him deeply. Chet kissed her back passionately. Without any hesitation he picked her up and carried her into one of the bedrooms...

Five minutes later Iola emerged from the restroom feeling much refreshed after losing so much champagne. She walked into the main living room looking for her brother and Callie. No one was present.

"Now where did they go?" she mused softly to herself. As if in answer she heard a rocking sound coming from the bedroom and Callie moaning softly. Iola half grinned.

"That's where." she said with a slight grin. Though she wished more than ever Joe was there with her now. She tried to put it out of her mind, but hearing her brother grunting heavily and Callie squealing and moaning made it somewhat difficult. She went to the ice box and took out a beer. And walked back to the sofa. She sat back and tried to rest a bit. She took a drink and picked up a book off the coffee table. She began reading. A few minutes later she noticed that the sounds of pleasure had abated. She smiled to herself.

"That was pretty short. But alcohol has that drawback with most men." she laughed to herself. She took another drink. A few minutes later Callie came out wrapped in a sheet. Iola looked up.

"Hey girl. Have fun?" she asked with a twinkle. Callie pursed her lips.

"Sorry about that. But he was pretty tired it seems, which is probably good because we were not thinking of how uncomfortable that it probably made you." Iola smiled and waved to one side.

"Don't think about it again. Though, God, I wish Joe was here." she said in a semi frustrated tone. Callie smiled and plopped down on the couch as well.

"Can I join that club?" She said. "I guess the day and new look was too much for him.. He went off in about 4 minutes." She caught herself. "Sorry, probably more info than you wanted." Iola grinned.

"It's ok, your probably right. That new hair and the piercing and the tattoo probably sent him over the edge. It is pretty hot." she said. Callie grinned.

"Thanks. But you don't have to say that." Iola laughed.

"Im not just saying that. All the while we were growing up I was really envious of you, cal. Especially the blonde hair. I always thought you got more attention from men." Callie giggled.

"I don't know about that. I was pretty envious of you with your size 4-6 body. I always thought I was fat next to you." Iola snorted.

"You fat, uh, I don't think so." she said reaching over and pulling Callie's sheet down. Iola looked at her best friend's nude body. Then looked up into her eyes.

"See," she said softly. "Perfect." Callie took a breath and looked at Iola's gaze upon her. Callie smiled.

"Oh my. Iola, are you checking me out?" Iola cleared her throat. She looked up and smiled.


	14. Chapter 14

"I think we are just a little tipsy and frustrated, Cal. I've never done that before. I hope I didn't offend you." Callie smiled.

"Don't be silly. When we woke up in the tent this morning and your chest was sticking out, I looked twice. It's a natural thing. That doesn't necessarily mean we want to do anything." Iola nodded and took a breath.

"Right. Of course. Though I do know women tend to be more open to that sort of thing. I just never did it." Callie grinned.

"Neither have I. Guess I will have to make sure I don't overstimulate your brother next time.." Iola giggled.

"Will be pretty tough with that body. And he can get horny I know. I'm sure growing up with him that I have been the subject of the hole in the door observation when I was undressed or otherwise. I think we are all humans. Doesn't make us weird or anything." Callie stood up.

"Well, Id better get some rest. Besides if he wakes back up I might get a second round, though I doubt it. The beds are great though. Very comfortable. There is another one in our bedroom. Not sure how many are here, but if you want to sleep in our room there probably wont be any more action...hehheh." Callie said. Iola nodded and stood up. She followed Callie into the bedroom and noticed the sleeping Chet sawing logs in one of the beds. Callie lay down next to him. Iola walked over to the other bed and pulled back the covers. They then proceeded to remove her clothes. She slid onto the silk sheets and soon fell asleep.

At 6 AM, The alarm clock went off. Chet reached over and shut it off. He looked over to Callie and smiled. She was indeed beautiful laying there. He planted soft kisses on her neck. A moment later Callie began to stir. Her eyes fluttered. She looked over to chet with a smile.

"Good morning, sir. Are we feeling refreshed?" she asked.. Chet didn't answer. He kept kissing her neck softly. She moaned.

"Chet, if your going to do that your going to have to back it up." she purred. Chet grinned.

"Did you not get enough last night?" he asked. Callie gave an evil smile.

"Well someone got overcharged and then passed out." Chet grinned sheepishly. She reached down and groped him. Chet moaned softly.

"You are really asking for it." He said. Callie smiled.

"Well I hope so..." she said. Chet looked over her shoulder to the other bed. He looked dubious. She looked at him.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Chet turned his head slowly.

"Well, Iola is over there, and..." Callie looked at him and took a breath. She had no intention of losing out this morning.

"Well hun, it's not like she's in bed with us. And I assure you she knows all about such things." Chet rolled his eyes and smiled.

"More info than I wanted." he said and shrugged. The two started kissing deeply. A few minutes later Iola, who was sleeping in the bed across from them started to stir. She heard a steady rocking noise. She carefully opened one eye slightly. She saw her brother on top of Callie. Iola for some reason was very turned on by this. She watched cautiously as her brother and Callie made love. Iola felt herself becoming very excited, as she hadn't ever watched two people have sex live. She was amazed at their endurance. She watched them go at it for nearly half an hour

"C'mon baby!" Iola heard her rasping to Chet. "Come on, please!" A moment later she heard her brother let out a tremendous groan. She covered her head up immediately.

Chet breathed deeply. Smiling down at Callie. She smiled back to him. Then looked down at her chest. She blinked rapidly with a look on her face that suggested she had never encountered such a man.

"Copious, darlin'?" she asked. Chet nodded, smiling, despite being somewhat embarrassed. He hadn't had protection at the time and had to improvise. Or so he told himself, though realizing that most men probably liked to perform in such a way to demonstrate their abilities. He cleared his throat. "I need a shower baby. Before you wear me out again." Callie smiled wickedly.

"Wait till the honeymoon darlin'. You ain't seen nothing yet." she said as he smiled and walked into the bathroom. A moment later the sound of the shower came on. Iola poked her head out from under the covers. She looked over to her friend who was laying on her back nude. She slowly sat up.

"Good morning to you, Cal. Did you have fun?" Iola asked from across the room. Callie giggled and turned her head slightly in Iola's direction.

"I knew you were up, girl. Did you like the show?" Iola took a breath.

"That was pretty impressive." she said standing up and walking over to Callie's bed. She looked down at her friend. Her eyes grew wide.

"Copious, huh?" she said looking down. Callie grinned and looked down.

"You could say that." she said with a grin. Iola was still immensely turned on seeing her friend laying there in such a way. Callie sensed this. She was still smiling.

"Can you give me a hand?" she asked. "There's a wash cloth over by the basin." Iola nodded and walked over to the in room sink and got a wash cloth wet with warm water and came back over. She stood there for a moment not sure if to hand Callie the cloth or what. Callie looked up to her.

"What's keeping you? Better get it off me before it dries." she smiled. Iola took the cloth and ran it along her friends neck and face. Slowly. Callie had her eyes closed and was obviously enjoying it. Iola slowly ran the cloth along Callie's ample breasts. Callie couldn't help but shutter a bit. Her nipples became very hard while Iola rubbed the cloth along them. Iola was enjoying feeling her friend's breast through the cloth. She took the cloth back as all had been wiped off. She stepped back.

"There you go, girl." she said returning the cloth to the sink. She slowly walked back to her friend who was sitting up.

"Are you ok, Iola?" Callie asked. Iola nodded softly.

"Yes, that was just pretty cool. I hope I don't sound strange." Callie shook her head.

"Not at all. I liked it." she smiled noticing that Iola seemed a might flustered. She obviously needed a good hard fuck, but there was probably little she could do about that. Though found it strangely arousing how she let her friend just wipe he off like that. Iola gave half a smile and stammered.

"Well, I, had better get, dressed." she said turning and walking quickly, she hadn't really been looking where she was going as the bathroom door opened without her noticing and she ran smack into Chet, nude. The two fell over each other and landed on the floor. Callie sat up and looked down at the two. She giggled looking at the two nude figures intertwined a bit so close together.

"Well that looks good guys." she teased. Iola reddened upon looking at her brother in the buck sitting next to her. Chet was a little less embarrassed but couldn't help notice his sister's chest.

"Oh my. Iola, quite the way to start the day. You better put those two ponies back in the coral." Iola reddened even more and stood up and rushed out of the room. Chet grinned and walked over to Callie.

"Is she ok?" he asked. Callie smiled and nodded.

"She's ok. Would probably be a lot better if Joe was here to help matters." Chet smiled and nodded.

"I see." he laughed and began to dress. Callie excused herself to the shower. Chet finished dressing in a new suit and walked out to the main living area. He saw no one so he went to the ice box and poured himself a glass of juice. Momentarily Iola came in to the kitchen wearing the outfit she had been in yesterday afternoon.

"Morning sis. Want some juice." He asked. Iola looked to him.

"Uh, yes, please." she said sitting at the bar, finding it difficult to make eye contact with her brother. Chet looked over to her while he poured.

"Everything Ok, sis?" Iola nodded slowly. She took the glass.

"We have been pretty open always, haven't we bro?" she asked. Chet nodded.

"Sure, that's what I love about you. You aren't stuck up or snobby. We can communicate." Iola smiled, and took a breath.

"Yes, we can. I just wanted to say that I was caught in a bit of an awkward position this morning. Well, you know,, obviously that you and Callie were going at it this morning." Chet reddened a little, then he smiled.

"Yes. I am sorry Iola, you probably got woke up and then you were probably pretty uncomfortable. Im sorry sis, sometimes it's hard. Callie and I are still obviously in pre honeymoon mode and sometimes act without thought. I am very sorry." Iola held a hand up.,

"Chet, it's ok. Those things happen. It doesn't bother me to see two people expressing their love to each other. I am not a prude. Truth is, I am critical of myself because I enjoyed watching it." Chet raised an eyebrow.

"Well, don't be. It's not exactly an act that is meant to turn one off, after all." he said. Iola nodded.

"That's very true. But I just wanted you to know that after you went into the shower,, well Callie said she knew I was watching and I think she was hopeful it turned me on." Chet grinned

"She is certainly shedding her oppressed skin, isn't she? Heh heh." Iola grinned and shrugged.

"I suppose so. But she was laying there,, and she asked me to help her with the,,er,,uhm,," chet reddened again and nodded.

"I think I understand what you mean.. Hehe, she asked for a towel??" Iola nodded.

"But what makes me confused is she asked me to wipe it off her. And what is more confusing I did it, and I kind of liked it. Does that make me,, all of us weird or something??" she asked. Chet took a breath.

"I wouldn't say that,,, and that's not just me as a male speaking because the idea of two women area turn on. I just think women can relate more intimately with each other with compassion together. It's not at all threatening to me." he took another drink and gestured

"I guess what I'm saying is if you two have some feelings for each other is some way like that it doesn't bother me. I know Callie loves me and that such things won't really make a difference to our relationship." A moment later Callie came forward, as she had apparently been listening from around the corner. She had a relieved look on her face.

"Wow chet. Iola, this is pretty strange stuff, huh? But I'm glad we are all square with each other. I am not predicting anything at all mind you, but I am glad we can communicate and not have any delusions about it. I think in a way me separation from Frank is allowing me to be able to open my mind and eyes. She walked up to Iola.

"Are we ok, girl? No ill will?" Iola grinned.

"Of course not." she said. Callie smiled and turned. Iola grinned and slapped Callie's base ass. She was wearing a big t-shirt of Chets, but that was all.

Callie turned and grinned to her.

"You tease!" she said mockly. Chet laughed heartily. Callie hastened off to get dressed. Iola looked to her brother.

"Am I a tease Chet?" she asked with an air of humor. Chet smiled and shook his head.

"Nah, but if you try to slap my ass, prepare to get yours slapped back." Iola nodded.

"I stand warned. So what's up for today?" Chet looked at his watch.

"Well, the jewels should be here within an hour or so. But for now I have to run downstairs for a few. Why don't you order some breakfast for us and I will be right back." Iola nodded.

"Cool. I will go do that now, so don't be long. I'd imagine that being in the penthouse we won't have to wait too long for breakfast." Chet nodded as he headed out. He took the elevator down. He had hoped he wouldn't have to wait for the bank to open. As luck had it the bank had opened a few minutes ago at 8 AM. Chet walked into the bank. He was immediately noticed by the president and greeted.

"Good morning, Mr. Morton. All is well today I hope?" Chet nodded.

"By all means. I was just stopping by to have a certified check drafted." The man beamed.

"Of course. Please have a seat." he gestured for Chet to sit before the desk.

"Now then, to whom do you need a check made and how much?" he asked. Chet pulled out the forms he had received from Zimmerman the day before and looked down.

"Let's see, to Bayport title and trust for James Henry. And the amount is $300,000.00." The president wrote this information down and smiled.

"I will have this for you within 5 minutes Mr. Morton." he said rushing off. Chet sat in the comfortable leather seat looking on the window towards the Ritz. He had wondered about Iola's little divulgence this morning. He hadn't really thought of his sister as the bi type, but perhaps it was just a phase of some sort. He wasn't about to allow inhibitions to restrict such liberations. Maybe that was liberal for him to think that way, but he didn't see the harm in it even if Iola and Callie did end up experimenting. He had read and even known about several women who had done this and were perfectly normal married women. Most men, he imagined felt threatened by the idea of not having the total power and control over the situation. He even inwardly chuckled to himself. Frank was his dear friend but for years he must have had a subconscious choke hold on this precious flower. As to his sister he had learned something new. He doubted Joe to be very restrictive, but she probably kept feelings under her hat if she had any while Callie was with Frank.

Sure enough a few minutes later, the bank president, Mr. Fitch, came over with a check.

"Here you are Mr. Morton. I dare say you are buying some real estate today." Chet nodded.

"Yes, My sister really likes this house, so she will be surprised." Mr. Fitch smiled.

"With such a generous brother I'd say so. I know you will be living in another area but please feel free to call anytime if There's any way we can help you. We hope you will be quite happy with our bank." Chet smiled.

"Everything has been perfect." he said standing up. They shook hands and Chet left the bank. He found his way back over to the Ritz and walked over to the concierge.

"Yes, Mr. Morton, how may I assist you this morning?" Chet smiled.

"Yes, I would like to get a flight to Bayport this morning if possible for three. Could you look into that for me?" The man smiled.

"Of course sir, I will ring your room when I have some information for you." Chet beamed.

"Great, thank you!" Chet made his way upstairs. Upon entering he noticed a large package sitting inside the entryway. It was marked with the now familiar Tiffany logo. Chet smiled. He walked into the living area to see Iola and callie dressed in outfits similar to what they had on yesterday. Callie wore another pair of low riders that really showed off her hips. A distressed blue tank top with the Donna Karan logo on it. Very sexy leather sandals and her glasses. Iola wore pretty much the same thing though her top was dark green and she did not have enough confidence in her hips to where low rider jeans and wore more conventional jeans.

"Hello pretty ladies." he said. "I see our jewels arrived" Callie nodded.

"All here." she said standing up. She kissed him. "How are you sweetie?" she asked. He nodded.

"Very good now that I had my hourly kiss." he smiled. Iola stood and smiled.

"Breakfast is served. She gestured towards the kitchen. The group walked into see that room service had left quite an expansive meal. Chet and the girls sat down.

"This is great!" chet said tearing into his eggs. "Are you ladies doing alright?" He asked. Iola raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, Chet?" she asked. Chet nodded. Iola got a twinkle in her eye.

"Oh, I see you were curious if Callie and I had taken a shower together while you were out. Sorry, no such luck." She smiled. Callie nearly broke out in a laugh.

"You got an evil side girl." she said "now Chet is going to be totally delusional about us thinking we are dykes." Chet smiled and shook his head.

"No, not at all." he said. Iola grinned.

"Just given ya shit Chet. Callie and I are not making out with each other, nor do we hate or have animosity with each other. We are cool." Chet smiled

"Good." he said. Iola smiled devilishly as Callie went to sit down.

"Though looking at those damn low riders you have to admit Cal has quite a nice ass." Chet coughed then smiled.

"Yep. I have to admit that! I love those jeans Cal." Callie blushed.

"Well, thank you.. Both." she said and started giggling into her eggs. Chet finished his breakfast and stood up. No sooner had the phone rang.

"Hello? Yes. Great. That worked out well! Thanks for all your help. Yes, we will be down then." he hung up.

"Plane will take off in another hour and fifteen minutes." Callie stood up.

"Wow, doesn't give us much time. Luckily we are all packed. Iola and I bought a couple bags for all the clothes which is good considering how much we have to carry." Iola nodded.

"I like the city here but will be nice to get back to Bayport and then even the hollow and work on the case. I was beginning to find myself a little out of place. I don't think I was meant for this type of royal treatment. Did you notice that despite having a massively huge hotel suite that we only used two rooms basically." Chet grinned

"Your right. We probably aren't meant to this life. Do you ladies have all our clothes packed? If so I will grab the jewels." Iola nodded.

"Yep, packed and ready to roll." Callie looked about the big suite.

"Well, it was nice but lets get on out of here and go back home." Iola brought out three large pieces of luggage. Chet hefted the Tiffany parcel up and they carried their goods to the elevator. A quick trip down found them in the main lobby. With the readily offered assistance they were helped to the limo with the luggage. Chet and the girls hopped in for their seemingly last limo ride to the airport. The driver sped towards JFK. The ride went uneventful as the ride was a little more relaxing than their cab ride into town. Twenty five minutes later they were at the airport. The driver assisted them with their luggage to baggage check in. Chet checked in to obtain their departure info. After making sure their luggage was tagged with the right flight they proceeded to the departure gate. After showing their boarding passes they were permitted to board the flight. They were seated in coach seats this time, which actually were only marginally smaller than the first class seats they had yesterday.

"Amazing how little more you get for an extra thousand dollars." chet said under his breath to his sister. She smiled agreeing.

"These seats seem just about as comfortable. I'd sooner save the money and buy a couch after the trip." Chet laughed. He looked to his sister who was proudly wearing her necklace and bracelet.

"Those really look great on you." he said. Callie nodded.

"They really do, Iola. Joe will go nuts I'm sure." Chet laughed.

"I'm sure he will after he knows what they cost." he looked to Callie and she waved her finger in front of him proudly. He smiled as the diamonds gleamed in all directions in the sunlight as it shown through the window of the jet.

"That is just an amazing ring Cal. Had they not given it to you I was certainly going to buy it for you." Callie raised her eyebrows.

"You would seriously buy me a ring for half a million dollars?" she asked him. Chet nodded.

"If I could afford it, sure. Your worth it. If it brought you an ounce of happiness the price would be well worth it." he said. Callie had a tear running down her cheek.

A moment later the captain announced they would be departing. Sure enough the doors were sealed and the plane backed out of the gate area. The plane got in line for takeoff. Luckily it didn't seem too long as Chet looked at his watch. He kept the 2PM appointment in mind. He looked over to Callie.

"You ok sweetness? I know you don't like to fly." Callie took a breath.

"I should be ok. No need to drink. I'm hear with you." she said. A moment later she tensed up as the engines roared to pressure and started streaking down the runway. Chet could feel her grip on his hand tighten as the jet leaped skyward. A few minutes later the plane had leveled off and was flying smoothly. Callie lightened her grip and smiled to him.

"I love you." she said.

"I love you too, Angel." She rested her head on his chest. Iola looked over to the two contented lovers. She hoped that soon she would at least be able to be with Joe. She figured they had at least another half hour flying time. Which would put them in Bayport a little before one in the afternoon. She looked over to Chet who was awake looking at the sleeping Callie.

"What's the plan when we get to Bayport?" she asked. Chet cleared his throat without sitting up.

"Well, I have a small business appointment around 2. Did you need to do something?" Iola smiled.

"Well, I did want to stop off and see some friends if we had the time." Chet nodded and smiled.

"Got to show off them nice clothes and jewels on someone, right? Mom will flip when she sees you wearing over $50,000 worth of jewelry." Iola smiled.

"Yeah she will. Will probably make me lock it in a bank vault." Chet laughed.

"Tell ya what. I can take you and Callie and drop you off with her car and let you got about while I get my business done then meet you after." Iola nodded.

"That can work." she said.

The flight went along smoothly and Callie got in a nap. At 12:49 the captain turned on the fasten seat belts light and announced their decent into Bayport. Chet shook Callie awake and told her to buckle up that they were landing soon. Callie yawned and smiled.

"Be happy when I am on the ground." she said. Chet nodded.

"I don't like flying much myself." Callie grinned.

"That's crap. You have flown around with Frank and Joe lots of times. And they are not even professional pilots." Chet nodded.

"True, but that didn't mean I wasn't freaking when they were flying me around on a case."

Gradually the plane lowered itself and within 5 minutes the plane was screeching to a halt at the Bayport airport. Callie smiled with favor as the pilot proceeded to taxi the aircraft to the arrival gate. A few minutes alter the flight attendant was opening the aircraft door. Chet and the girls alighted momentarily and quickly left the airport with their luggage for the taxi stand. They loaded the cab and got in.

"Downtown police station." Chet told the driver.

"Right." said the driver. He bust into traffic and was at the Bayport police station in 10 minutes. The group alighted. Chet paid the driver and the group headed for the impound lot. They officer tending to the impound duty recognized Chet and waved.

"Hey Chet. Did you have some long term parking?" he asked. Chet grinned and nodded.

"You know it, Riley." he said as they walked over to Iola's Volvo. After stowing all the goods in the trunk, Chet took the wheel and headed for their downtown offices where Callie's car was parked. The drive was brief as they were located a very short distance from the police station. Chet spied the offices of Hardy, Morton and Hardy agency. He pulled into the alley on the side of the building and drove slowly to the rear. They say Callie's old Buick parked by the rear entrance. Callie fished out her keys. Chet looked at his watch.

"Ok, it's 1:30, what say we meet back here around 3:00?" Iola and callie smiled.

"Perfect." Iola smiled and got out. Callie leaned over and kissed Chet.

"Miss me?" she asked blinking behind her metal spectacles. Chet smiled happily.

"Your damn right I will. See ya in a bit sweetness." he said and Callie got out and walked over to her car. Chet waited till Callie had started her car and they left before pulling out himself. He knew her car was not always reliable.

Chet turned back on to Pershing Street and headed of his meeting. 15 minutes later he pulled up before Bayport Land, title and abstract company. He took out his contract and the certified check. He headed in. A pleasant faced woman greeted him from behind a desk.

"Hello, may I help you?" she asked him. Chet smiled to the older woman, who was casually dressed and seemed the pleasant type.

"Yes, I am here to close on a home with James Henry for the house on 311 Bayview Ave." The woman smiled again.

"Yes, of course. Please go into the first door on the right." Chet smiled

"Thank you." he said and walked over and through the door. Seated at a large table was a man about 40, balding in a tennis shirt. He was seated next to a woman about 35 wearing a professional looking outfit. Another older man wearing a light grey suit was also seated at the table. He appeared about 60 and was writing intently. He looked up when Chet entered.

"Mr. Morton, I presume?" he asked. Chet nodded.

"Yes." he said. The man rose.

"Tom Allen, Bayport title company. This is Cindy Scott and James Henry, the seller of the home on Bayview." Chet smiled.

"Please to meet all of you." he said. Mr. Allen smiled again.

"This is a pretty routine transfer since you are paying cash in essence. This will allow you to take immediate possession and, of course, liability. I have been working the forms up. May I see your paperwork just to be sure we are all on the same page?" Chet took out his copy of the contract and the certified check. He placed them before Mr. Allen. He scrutinized them then looked up.

"Well, all appears to be in order here. Your funds are indeed certified and contracts match and that's it where the importance is. Now if both parties will sign these final sale contracts and transfers we should be able to record it. Oh, also Mr. Morton your half of a recording fee comes to $225." Chet nodded.

"Of course." he said and took out a checkbook. He issued a $225 check and gave it to Mr. Allen.

After what seemed to be a dozen forms, chet now held clear title to the property at 311 Bayview avenue. The title to be entered as owners: Chester A. Morton, Iola Leann Morton and Callie Shaw. Chet also was given a form to complete in the future upon an appropriate time to quick claim the property to Iola Leann Morton And Joseph William Hardy.

Chet also received the keys to the house and owner disclosure. After all was said and done Chet emerged from the meeting 45 minutes later. He smiled broadly to himself and looked at his watch. 2:43PM. Chet figured he had better get back to meet the girls. He started the car and folded the papers and placed them in his jacket. He placed an expansive key chain in his side pocket. He drive off again and made it back to the rear of the agency right before 3:00. Chet was not too early as Callie's beat up Buick shot into the alley. The girls got out and hopped back in with Chet.


	15. Chapter 15

"Hi ladies." chet greeted. Did your friends turn green with envy?" Callie laughed.

"Oh yeah. Jennifer freaked royally when she saw my hair cut off. Then really freaked when she saw the piercing and the tattoo. But she absolutely dies when she saw the ring and then when she found out it wasn't from Frank she was blown away. Id say it had a huge effect. Iola got some pretty intense looks at that necklace I will tell you. I think she pissed off a few people we knew." Chet smiled.

"Now did you guys go waving your goodies under your not so real friends noses or did you see your good friends and just proceed to make them truly green with envy?" Iola smiled.

"Well, our real friends that we saw were pretty happy. But yeah, we made an effort to go say hello to a few people we knew in the area that didn't like us too much." she said with an air of gratification.

"But I am not really into that. I wont be wasting my time to go gloat. I have better things to do. And I would really like to stay the same person I have always been." Chet nodded.

"Good t hear sis. Cause ya know mom will instill that idea with a little force once she knows." Callie grinned.

"I bet she will." she said knowingly. Mrs. Morton was a solid and decent woman who believed in ethics and didn't have much tolerance for pretense. Chet smiled.

"Well let's see. I think we have a little time to wind down and take a drive."

"Ok." Iola agreed. "It will give me more time to think of what to say to mom over all this." Chet pulled the car back into traffic and headed along the downtown road that converted into Bayview Ave a little further north. After a few minutes the road converted to Bayview as the road closed over to the bay area on the high cliff.

"Nice area up here." chet started to say. Iola smiled.

"You don't have to tell me bro. But we are still gonna drive past my dream house. What torture." she said. Chet drove a little while longer and slowed down.

"Yep, there it is." he said. Iola slapped the side of the door.

"Damn!" she said. "I knew it wouldn't last long. Already a sold sign on it." Chet couldn't help but grin. He pulled over into the drive.

"Doesn't look like anyone moved in yet. Why not take a peek up close before the new owners move in. I like historic homes and want to look even though it's pretty hopeless for our concerns." Iola grudgingly nodded.

"Ok, but I know I will just get more depressed when I see it cant be mine." Chet parked the car and the three got out. The huge three story structure was predominantly brick. It had a very old iron gate and a separate garage and a smaller servant's house. Iola groaned looking it all over. Chet led them around the house. They all gasped when they were in the back and saw a perfect view of the bay from high upon the cliff. Iola turned and looked into a window.

"Oh man. Look at all that perfect wood paneling and hardwood flooring. Oh, I can see part of that huge kitchen. It's beautiful. Callie nodded.

"Sure it gorgeous! I am beginning to feel as bad as you are. This house is great and I haven't even seen the inside." Iola kicked a rock along the old brick inlayed walkway. Chet looked over to the side of the house. There sat an in ground swimming pool with rich and mature vegetation blended within to give it a very stately look.

"Wow, excellent pool." he said. Callie nodded.

"I would love to be able to go take a swim every morning here. God, it is great." Iola looked depressed.

"Yeah, but it now belongs to someone who could obviously afford to plunk down $400,000! Must be nice to be lucky." Chet could resist no more. He cleared his throat and pulled out the copy of the title that was just recorded.

"Hey, Iola, I can't make this out, can you make heads or tails of it to me?" Iola rolled her eyes.

"Having problems reading a report Now of all times, Chet?" she said snapping up the paper. She looked down at it.

"..and title, without lien or encumbrance, is now and completely given to Chester A Morton, IOLA LEANN MORTON??? 311 Bayview Ave!!!" She looked up to her brother, who was smiling like a Cheshire cat and then to the house...

"You mean,, this house,, is,, us?? We??" chet smiled and put an arm around her.

"Yes, this house is now legally owned and titled to me, you and Callie. And I have a quick claim form that gives it entirely to you and Joe..." Iola threw her arms around her brother and kissed him.

"Oh you! I love you so much. Leave it to my big brother to surprise me like this!" She gasped. Callie smiled to him and kissed him

"You have to be the sweetest man I know. I love you." she said. Chet smiled at all the attention.

"Say, don't you all want to go inside?" he asked pulling out a key chain. Iola grabbed the keys and ran for the door. Callie and Chet looked at her running to the door. She tried three keys before she found the one that opened that particular door. She ran inside and screamed.

"It's beautiful!! She screamed. Chet and Callie came in smiling to her. She ran from one room to another like a child on Christmas day opening packages. She came back to Chet and Callie who were taking it in at a much slower pace.

"You know, I think that listing info was wrong, I have counted at least 8 bedrooms and there are 4 and a half baths! And the other rooms. And the kitchen is huge. And the courtyard. Its all so beautiful!" Chet grinned

"I'm sure you and Joe will love it." he said. Iola looked up.

"Chet, look at this house! You guys will have to live here too! There's plenty of room!" Chet raised an eyebrow

"Well Iola, maybe Joe doesn't want to live with another couple." Iola looked back.

"Are you nuts. Joe would be thrilled to have us all here. Not to mention you could probably live here and not see another person who lived here for a week without making a real effort. This place is over twice the size of the farm!" She ran into another room. Chet chuckled. Callie sighed,

"She sure has is set in her mind, doesn't she?" she asked. Chet nodded.

"That seems certain. What do you think, Angel?" Callie looked about.

"It's beautiful Chet. I love it. And of course the practical side of me says if you just plunked down $400,000 for this house we have spent our budget for a long while." Chet smiled.

"Well, I was able to get it for a little less." Iola was walking back into the room.

"What, you were able to buy it for less?" wow. What did you have to pay?"

"$300,000 even." Callie and Iola smiled.

"Wow, $100 grand off!" Callie said. "That is great Chet. This is premium real estate. What a deal!" She said wrapping an arm around him. Callie smiled to Chet.

"You know that any of has have never thought in a million years we'd ever to end up in a house like this. It's huge. What's the sense of wasting the space? I mean if you think it's ok. I know we now have the ability to buy our own place but this seems to fit so well for now." Chet nodded and looked the place over.

"Sure is big alright. I think it could work. It's absolutely beautiful. I guess as long as Joe says OK then we should do it." Iola smiled.

"Rest assured bro, Joe will flip out when he hears about this." She said. Chet looked around the kitchen. He gave a whistle.

"Two ranges. They must like to cook around here.. Two, no three ice boxes. Amazing! Certainly well equipped. Well, I don't mean to cut the festivities short, but we need to get moving. Iola, we have to go home and let mom in on things before we continue back to the hollow. She would have our butts if we didn't stop by. Especially with such news." Iola nodded,

"Oh yeah. She will be shocked." she looked at Callie. "She is gonna flip when she finds out her son is officially engaged and both her children own a house." Callie grinned.

"That's the kind of news that is good to spread. Shall we go?" Chet and Iola nodded. They filed out of their new home and Iola locked the door. She turned and kissed her brother again.

"What you have done is beyond words. But thank you. So much!" she said and they got into the car. Iola took the wheel and headed the car towards the area of their farm. They noticed that in that area of Bayview Ave the homes were rather isolated from each other and the grounds around their house were quite grown and mature offering it even more isolation. Chet and callie sat in the back seat, holding hands. Despite all that was good and positive they were a bit nervous about breaking the news of their engagement to Mrs. Morton. Iola was driving fast as usual and momentarily they were brought to the long drive that led to the Morton farmhouse. Within 2 minutes Iola had the car parked. She smiled to the others,

"Well guys, here it goes." she looked over her shoulder and smiled, then looked into the back of the house, "and we may be in double luck. That looks like dad's car parked back there too." Chet gulped. His father was a very practical man. He might think that his son was acting in haste and lecture him.

"Let's do this." Chet said with determination. They got out of the car and walked up onto the porch. Sure enough the door opened and Mr. and Mrs. Morton came out with pleased looks. Mrs. Morton beamed.

"Back from the big city already? Wonderful. I was worried sick about you there. More so than if you were back in that hollow." Chet smiled.

"Yep, we got our business done and got out of there. Too many people. Hello dad. See ya got a little time off work yourself." Mr. Morton smiled.

"Hi, son. Yes. Finally got a couple days off after putting in about 20 straight. I was helping your mother with a little harvesting. So nice to get back to working around the house. Hi sweetie!" he said to Iola. "How are you doing? Hi Callie. Great to see you too!" callie smiled and waved before Iola grinned.

"Hi daddy. It's good to see you back." she said giving him a peck on the cheek. Mrs. Morton looked over to her daughter and raised her eyebrows.

"My my, looks like my pretty daughter got a whole lot prettier. She lost some hair I see. Looks great, dear. And my, I love your necklace. It's amazing how real it looks." Iola smiled.

"Well mom, that's probably because it is real." Mrs. Morton gasped.

"Dear lord Henry, she blew her savings on a necklace. Young lady I thought we taught you better than that.." Chet stood there chuckling inward but decided it was time to bail his sister out.

"Ahem, mom and dad. You need to hear a few things first before jumping too hard. Please sit down." The group all sat at the table on the front porch.

"Well," Chet continued, "when we had to go to the city yesterday it was because we had to return some stolen jewels. Jewels that Callie and I recovered while on the case in Pennsylvania. Three boxes of jewels hijacked from Tiffany & Co. Well, these jewels were worth nearly $40 million!"

"$40 million!" Mr. & Mrs. Morton chorused. Chet nodded.

"Yes, 40 million. Mr. Hardy thought since we were the ones that recovered the jewels that it was important we return them. So when we stopped by yesterday on the way that's what we were up to. In any event, Tiffany & Co and their insurance carrier had a reward offered."

"So that's where you got the necklace, Iola. As a reward." Mrs. Morton started. Chet gave a half nod.

"Well, kind of. Tiffany & Co CEO Peter Rabinowitz gave Iola that beautiful necklace and a matching bracelet I may add. They also gave me a nice alligator briefcase and they uh, gave Callie and I this lovely ring," he said gesturing towards Callie's finger with the very beautiful ring. Mr. & Mrs. Morton gasped.

"That's a lovely ring Callie," Mrs. Morton started, "it very much looks like an engagement ring." Chet and callie both smiled broadly. Mr. Morton broke into a smile,

"While I'll be blasted! That's exactly what it is! Mom, looks like a wedding in the making." Mrs. Morton broke into tears.

"My, this is amazing. Really. You two have known each other for so long. I am just so happy." she got up and hugged the two, as did Mr. Morton, who slapped his son on the back.

"You're my boy." he said smiling to Callie. "You have yourself one very pretty bride to be." Mrs. Morton smiled.

"She took a little hair off too. It looks so cute. Oh my. A daughter-in-law!" They sat back down hardly able to contain themselves. Mr. Morton looked over to them.

"Well those are great rewards. Any idea what they cost if you had to buy them? Chet smiled.

"Well, Iola's necklace and bracelet retails for over $50,000" Mr & Mrs. Morton took on stunned looks.

"$50,000 for those two pieces?!!?" Mrs. Morton asked incredibly. Chet nodded and smiled.

"You aren't going to believe what the ring cost then." Callie placed the ring before them. They smiled.

"It's beautiful." Iola looked down at it.

"Well if you include the sales tax you would be out to the tune of $460,000!" Mr. Morton looked up to her.

"Are you kidding your daddy, missy? $460 thousand dollars! That's almost half a million!" Iola nodded seriously.

"The stones on the ring are perfect, as in colorless and flawless. They make the diamonds worth a great deal more." Mrs. Morton held her chest.

"It's beautiful, but aren't you nervous? I mean it's so valuable!" Callie nodded,

"It makes me a little nervous, but it is absolutely stunning and I would never dream locking it away." The elder Mortons sat there and looked at the three younger people in awe.

"Well, you cleared over half a million in jewelry for a reward. Not bad for returning some jewels to their owner." Mr. Morton said. Chet gave a half smile.

"Well dad, they did give us a little cash with the jewels." Chet started.

Mr. Morton looked astounded.

"Why that is amazing. Maybe they gave you a little something you could put towards that boat I heard you bought." Chet smiled.

"You could say that, dad. They gave Callie and I a little more than that." Mr. Morton eyes widened.

"Don't keep us in suspense son, tell us." he was on the edge of his seat. Chet looked over with a alight smile.

"Well, they gave Callie and I $3,850,000.00 dad." Mr. Morton and his wife looked stunned.

"They gave you nearly $4 million dollars!!??!?" Iola nodded.

"Yeah dad, they issue a reward equal to 10 of the value of the recovered items." Mr. Morton stood up and took a breath.

"Wow,, and I mean wow son. You are full of news aren't you? This is great." Iola smiled and wrapped an arm around her brother.

"What is great I think is this.." she said pulling out the paper Chet had given to her earlier at the house. She handed it to her father. He scanned the paper and looked up.

"This says you all own a home!? Well I will be darned. 311 Bayview Ave. That's out north along the bay. I can't picture it as I don't know the addresses but a lot of those houses are pretty nice. Sounds like a good investment." Iola nodded.

"Chet got $100,000 off the price and we all intend to live in the house. Well Joe and I and Chet and Callie that is." Mrs. Morton looked up.

"All of you? Is this house big enough for two growing couples??" she asked with concern. Chet let out a flurry of laughter.

"Well mom, it's pushing 5,000 square foot and at last count a confirmed 7 or 8 bedroom." Mrs. Morton smiled broadly.

"Well, well, that sounds plenty big. This is just simply amazing! An engagement, some good financial security and a new house. It's a miracle." Chet smiled.

"Maybe, or just good luck. But good luck or not we do have to head back to the hollow. We have some items for Mr. Hardy and they are imperative to getting the missing captain and Bill back." Mr. Morton nodded.

"Of course. Work must go on. Am glad to see you haven't lost those valuable ideals. But at least come in for a bite first." Chet nodded, he needed no second invitation. He followed Iola in and Callie came in behind him. Mrs. Morton looked over at Callie as she entered and gave a slight laugh.

"Looks like my daughter in law to be got herself branded." she said pointing to her back. Mr. Morton grinned.

"Looks like it." he laughed. "Glad its hidden a bit there dear." Callie looked over her shoulder and blushed.

"Well, I finally figured I wanted one so there it sits. Chet likes it a lot." Mr. Morton grinned as she walked through the door with her crop top high above her navel and hip hugger jeans sitting low.

"I'm sure he does, my dear. I really approve of what you've done with yourself. Your quite the pretty lady. My son is a lucky man."

After an hour of eating and discussing at length their future it was time to go. With Mr. Morton promising to call the utility companies to have the power and phone turned on, they waved and left. Callie and Chet say back while Iola drove.

"Well that didn't go too bad." Iola said. "I think dad was really excited." Callie sighed and lay her head on Chet.

"I feel better. Your family is so understanding." Chet smiled.

"They have their moments, but are usually pretty cool about things." Iola sped towards the docks and was soon parking at the Hardy boathouse. Chet pulled the parcel of fake jewels out of the trunk. Iola meanwhile was rooting some of her and Callie's more appropriate clothes out and putting them into a single bag. She also took out the two PPK pistols and gave one to Callie.

"Here you go Cal, back to the bush." she said as they joined Chet as he was packing the boat up. Chet looked to the two ladies. He gave a slight laugh when he looked at Callie.

"Say Cal, hip huggers and crop tops are not great for concealing weapons." he said noticing she had tucked the gun in her waist. Callie smiled.

"This is true Chet, but I couldn't think of anywhere else to stick it.." she said with a wicked grin. Chet smiled.

"I see your point." he said with a laugh and went about checking the boat out for takeoff. Satisfied he turned the motors over and checked his gauges. All appeared well and Iola set the time lock on the door. The door slid open and Chet maneuvered the craft out of the boathouse. Chet motored over to the fuel dock and fueled his tanks. They got out of the Bay and Chet opened the throttle significantly and headed towards the river channels that would lead them to Black Hollow. Chet looked over his shoulder and looked admiringly at Callie with her dark blonde hair blowing in the wind. Her crop top clinging adequately, but not too excess and her crystal clear smile. She was truly beautiful. He felt as if he were the luckiest man on earth. He even looked to his sister who herself was quite beautiful as well. He knew Joe was going to be knocked out by his sister and her new look.

He sped along keeping close to the coastline. The weather that late afternoon was warm for the season. This suited Chet well as he disliked the overcast and rain when he was boating.

Chet set a course and relaxed for a bit. He turned to the girls.

"Little better weather than the first trip out, huh?" he said. Iola nodded.

"This is super. I'd like to think it wasn't just the fact that I'm wearing a pricey necklace or that you just gave me the house of my dreams. It really is simple things in life. But I suppose they become more visible with lack of stress in one's life. I hope you guys don't lose track either. I mean you guys have the control and power over nearly $4 million. You need to be careful as that can be just as much a curse as a blessing." Callie smiled to her friend.

"It is wise to keep such things in mind, but damn it feels good to not worry about certain things that have been alleviated by the situation at hand. But there are still stresses and concerns for me. Like Bill being kidnaped. I mean here we are getting a ton of cash and having the time of our lives and Bill is at the mercy of some maniacs." she thought about it quietly. It plainly scared her. Chet took her hand.

"It will be alright, darlin'. We will get him back safe no matter what." he claimed. Callie took great security in this statement. She knew Chet would do all he could for his friend.

Another hour and a half brought them into the deep river areas that would lead them into the hollow. It was early evening. Chet checked his fuel gauges.

"Think I will reload at Treeport even though I'm still at half full. Doesn't hurt to be safe." he said. Within twenty minutes the small town of Treeport came to view. Chet motored into the fueling dock. Iola and Callie got up to stretch their legs. Chet topped his tanks off and the group went to pay. At the end of the dock Chet pulled out some cash and handed it to the attendant. The attendant, a man of about 45 and sandy colored hair looked Callie and Iola up and down with less than any subtlety. He did stop short upon noticing the nickel plated piston emerging from Callie's waist. He cleared his throat and averted his gaze promptly. Chet smiled at this. He gestured for the girls to follow him up towards town.

"I think we'd better take a chance and see if that hunting and sport store is open and get you an adequate holster, Cal. That dude down there probably thought he was a goner with that big gun and that tattoo." Callie giggled wildly at the thought of her image actually putting fear into a man. Iola half smiled.

"He deserved it after he was so obviously mentally undressing her." Chet grinned as they walked.

"Heh heh... he had his eyes on your booty too, sis." Iola reddened.

As luck would have it the store was still open. Chet led the way in and walked up to the counter. The salesman, who was also likely the owner was the same man who had sold Chet firepower the last time he was in. He smiled to Chet,

"Hey there. Run out of hand grenades yet?" Chet chuckled.

"Luckily no, we were just trying to get the lady fitted for a holster." he said gesturing to Callie. The man looked over to her and smiled at the PPK bulging out from her low riders. He chuckled briefly.

"That gun sticks out like a dent in a Jaguar, doesn't it?" he asked hoping his analogy didn't offend. Callie smiled and was obviously reddening by the second. Chet himself had to give a hearty chuckle.

"You hit the nail on the head there. Not to mention I'd hate her to squeeze off a couple rounds and inadvertently place that heater back on her tailgate and cause a fire." Iola gave her brother a look of disapproval.

"Tailgate? Hehe what a man." he smirked. The owner gave a grin and rooted around under the counter. He pulled up a piece of strapped leather.

"That's a .380 PPK, right?" Callie nodded. The man smiled and held the holster up.

"This one would accent nicely I think. It's a thigh holster."

"Thigh holster?" chet questioned. The man smiled.

"The ladies tend to like them. They came into popularity after the Tomb Raider game and movie. Remember the character Lara Croft has a couple magnums strapped to thigh holsters?" Chet nodded fondly remembering the movie with Angelina Jolie.

"Oh yeah. Say Cal, what do you think?" he said holding it out to her. She took it and sure enough it strapped snugly to her thigh and her weapon fit perfectly. Callie nodded approvingly. Chet smiled. It was a lot nicer of a fit that in her pants.

"We'll take that. And Iola, do you need one?" Iola looked questionable to it then looked up.

"I will take a ankle holster if you have one." The man smiled.

"But of course." He fished one up and handed it to her. Iola tried it and it fitted fine. She nodded,

"This will do." she said with a smile. Chet looked around the store. He picked up a box and brought it to the counter. Iola raised an eyebrow.

"Your kidding? More ammo? Chet, have you noticed back at the came, in the boat, in the other boat there are more boxes of ammo than we'd ever need?" Chet grinned.

"This isn't ammo. It's tear gas." he defended. The man smiled.

"Highly concentrated, yet non lethal. With make anyone who comes in contact with it surrender but quick but will only render them powerless for an hour or so. No permanent damage can occur with this stuff." Iola nodded.

"Well, I guess if it beats blowing a place to smithereens it's a good idea. Especially with Bill and the captain in danger." Chet nodded.

"That'll do it, sir." he said. He handed the man a bill.

Soon the were making their way back down to the docks. Chet looked at Callie and her new holster. She seemed to like it.

"Nice look Cal, no more dents in the jaguar." he smiled. Callie turned red.

"I can't believe you guys." she said with a laugh. Iola looked down towards the boat. Out in the water she could see a smaller boat, but it struck her strange that the boat did not have it's running lights on and therefore was considerably harder to see. Had it not been for the lights reflecting from the town dock she doubted it would be visible at all. She cleared her throat as they walked.

"Don't look now guys but if you hadn't noticed there's a strange boat out on the river without it's running lights on and they appear to be just hanging out." Chet gave a slight nod.

"Oh really." he said scanning the river area out of the corner of his eye.

"They appear to be watching us through field glasses. They will undoubtedly follow us." Callie gave a shiver.

"Back to work I see." she said as they finally reached their boat. Chet started the motors.

"Don't pay any attention to them. Let's see how far behind they follow." The three sat down and chet pulled from the dock. He continued back down the river. Sure enough the mysterious craft started to follow them.

"What should we do Chet?" Iola asked. Chet pondered this. He finally looked up and smiled slightly.

"Thin the herd." he said. Iola you are pretty good with a rifle. There's a 30-06 with scope under the cargo bay water cover. It has armor piercing shells loaded just in case they have their hull protected, which I doubt."

"Gonna make em go swimming?" Callie guessed. Chet smiled.

"Seems like a nice idea. With those type shells at this range it should rip a fairly nice chunk out of the bow if you hit it right sis." Iola nodded.

"Callie, lay down next to Iola in case they return fire. Just before you fire I will kill our lights so if they try it will be damn hard. Especially with side arms." Iola nodded and she and Callie crawled to the rear of the boat. Iola slipped the rifle out from under the rain cover and checked it over. She peered through the scope.

"Inferred scope. Thanks Chet for being prepared. I can see them pretty well thanks to that. Hold the boat as still as you can." she called out. Chet nodded and hunched down. A moment later he reduced the throttle down to idle and the boat cut power and forward momentum. This afforded Iola a much more stable shot. Chet then abruptly cut the lights.

"Now Iola." He said. Iola took careful aim on the hull of the other boat which had also cut power as to not come up too close on them. Iola smiled sure of herself and fired. Crack! Crack! Two shots uttered in the night. Suddenly voices came from the other boat.

"Think we got em, bro." Iola said assured. "They don't sound too happy and they seem to be panicking." Chet stepped the throttle back up and the boat swung back down the river. Iola took out their own field glasses from the locker and trained them in on the other boat. She smiled.

"Oh yeah, they is going down. Whoa!" she exclaimed ducking immediately. A moment later they heard a couple shots whistle in the vicinity.

"Spare no speed, bro!" Iola commanded. Chet threw the throttle full out and chanced the lights. The boat rocketed ahead. No further shots were heard and soon they were out of sight of the other boat which was apparently taking in water but fast. Iola returned the rifle to it's spot and she and Callie came back up front.

"Great job, Chet!" Callie sighed heavily. "Glad we are away from them." Chet nodded.

"They should have a nice swim back to town. One can wonder if they got a radio message to their fellow goons before the ship went under."

"I hope not." Iola said. "Otherwise we are likely to see more bad guys coming up river." Chet nodded.

"Be on the lookout." he said. The others nodded. Chet was soon obviously in the hollow by the look of things. He looked down at his radar screen and flipped the tracking device on. Sure enough a bleeping indicated he was within range of the camp. He flipped on the radio.

"This is C24 calling any affiliated parties. Come in, over." A few minutes later the radio crackled.

"This is FH51. We read you. Over."

"Good evening. Is your position drastically different that 40 hours ago. Over."

"We have been all over, but ironically we are back in the same place. Big developments. Will you be returning soon? Over."

"According to the radar and my memory, perhaps an hour, hour and a half."

"Very good. Will expect to see you. Please ring the items discussed earlier. They may be needed. Over and out." Chet hung up the radio. He looked at the others.

"Major development?" Iola repeated. "I wonder what that's all about..." she mused. Chet shook his head.

"No idea. Though the very fact they are back in the camp that the were at when we left suggests something. Perhaps they had reason to return to that odd little cabin where we found the jewels." Chet stepped up the throttle a bit and maneuvered the boat expertly through the narrowing river channel. He was obviously determined to get to camp as fast as possible. About 40 minutes hard maneuvering brought them to an area where Chet could tie the boat off. They removed their supplies and quickly and methodically covered the boat up so it was not visible. Chet checked his weapon. He pulled out a flashlight.

"Oh, lets have that mini radio and radar unit, sis." Chet requested. Iola brought out the radio and turned on the radar beacon. The bleeping was indicating that the camp was about half an hour or so off which indicated it was likely right where they left it when they departed. Chet used the flashlight sparingly. They had been moving swiftly and then slowed down when the terrain got more rugged and steep. Chet and the group stopped to rest for a moment. Callie took out a water bottle.

"These supplies are heavy." Chet grunted. "I bet the fake jewels weigh more than the real ones." Callie nodded.

"These clothes and such are pretty hefty too." she said passing the water around. Another two minutes and chet got back up from his hunched position.

"Ok, let's do it." he took out the radio and flashlight and the group continued on. The beacon signal got considerably more constant and soon they were seeing vaguely familiar signs that they were near their camp. Chet and the girls scanned the area more frequently as they went along. Soon the landscape became quite familiar despite the sheer darkness. Iola pointed ahead.

"Looks like a campfire to me, huh?" she asked. Callie nodded.

"No doubt. But let's be careful." Chet nodded as the walked slowly towards it. All looked peaceful from one hundred yards off. Then a voice came from the darkness.

"Chet??" it called. Chet sighed with relief after a moment of apprehension. It was Mr. Hardy's voice.

"Yeah. Just us." he called back out softly. Mr. Hardy emerged from behind some foliage. He came up to the three smiling.

"Good to see you back so soon. I take it that Tiffanys was able to speed up the process or duplication or perhaps had duplicates on hand." Chet gestured and nodded.

"The latter for the most part." he said with a sigh. Mr. Hardy looked over Callie and Iola. He gave a smile.

"Good evening ladies. I see even a brief stay in the big city didn't keep you from a refresher of appearance. Very nice."

"Thank you, sir." the girls chorused. Chet looked around.

"What's the big development, sir? And why do you happen to be right back here? We thought you'd probably be miles from here by now." Mr. Hardy smiled.

"We had a workout I can promise you Chet. But we were able to track some of the gang this evening and we suspect that part of the gang may be held up partly in that cabin over the rise. But we are also playing the theory that there may be an entryway in the cabin to a tunnel perhaps. Frank is camped out very close to it keeping it staked out. We have figured not to do anything until he returns up here in the morning with a report." Chet nodded.

"That could be a break. Anyway, can we go back to camp? We are bushed if nothing is pressing at the very moment." Mr. Hardy nodded.

"I'm sure. That is a lot of distance you covered in a short time. You all deserve some sleep. Joe and Kelly are staked out about 500 yards to the east. Tony is sleeping just below the rise. So if you want, the tent is empty. We can exchange stories more in the morning. Go get some rest." Chet and the girls nodded gratefully and headed to the camp. They quietly vanished into the tent. Chet dropped the bag of supplies and the parcel of fake jewels and took his suit off and did his best to keep it wrinkle free. He lay down on one of the air mattresses. Callie soon had her clothes removed and joined him. She kissed him deeply.

"Goodnight sweetie. I love you." she said and they lay down. Chet wrapped an arm over Callie's smaller frame which made her feel comfortable and they soon were sleeping. Iola had peered around hopeful that Joe might return but eventually tiredness caught up to her and she threw her clothes off and fell onto the other air mattress.


	16. Chapter 16

Six in the morning came too soon as far as Chet was concerned. He looked over to his own true love who was still out. He decided not to wake her or his sister as they were probably beat. He silently dressed and combed his hair. He then looked at himself and laughed. He was out in the middle of the camping wilderness and was wearing a $5,000 Italian silk suit. He shrugged not really wishing to root about in the bag for better clothes for fear of waking the girls. He heard voices outside and the smell of coffee, which he craved. He exited the tent and walked up to the campfire where all the Hardys, Tony and agent Kelly were seated. Upon seeing Chet, Frank, Joe and Tony immediately started cracking up with laughter. Frank well over backwards and sat back up. He gestured to Chet

"What's with the suit? Are you thinking of joining the other side and going to go see the head of the family??" Chet looked half confused. Tony had to even smirk a little

"Well Chet, it's just that you do look like a wise guy who just went on a shopping trip with Don Corleone." Joe had to nod.

"Yeah, Chet. I mean to be honest, you look sharp, but you do scream mafia. Except you aren't Italian." Tony snorted.

"I mean really Chet, even Dirty Harry wore a casual blazer with slacks." Mr. Hardy cleared his throat.

"All right guys, Chet had a long day yesterday..."

"Well, shopping at GangstersRus, is pretty draining." Frank needled. Chet smiled.

"Actually Frank, I got this suit at the men's shop at the Ritz Carlton." Frank slapped his head.

"Gee Chet, Couldn't you have saved yourself some money and say done the Sheraton? That Ritz had to have been $500 for the night." Chet grinned with triumph.

"Actually Frank, I didn't have to pay a dime to stay there. Mr. Rabinowitz of Tiffany & Co put us up there." Frank raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, so you returned the jewels ok. Got a free night at the Ritz. Not bad." Chet smiled as he knew he was going to enjoy this.

"Well I did rate getting the penthouse." Joe laughed.

"You lucky duck! We were laying on the dirt and you had the best room in all of New York City! Not a bad deal." Tony nodded.

"For sure. You can bet that suite has to cost at least ten large a night. Maybe a lot more. I know some of the best rooms in the city go for ridiculous amounts." Chet nodded.

"It was pretty nice alright." he said casually. Mr. Hardy looked up and took a drink of coffee.

"All you got was a free suite for the night?" he asked, "I am sure it was nice, and significantly overpriced, but I thought they were going to give you something more tangible." Chet nodded.

"Oh, they did." he said. Joe looked up and about.

"Say, where is that sister of yours Chet. Dad said this morning he thought she got a hair cut and I was curious to see her." Chet smiled. But before he could say anything they heard voices from the tent. Chet gestured.

"Sounds like they up. You will probably see her in a second." Joe smiled with anticipation and nodded. He took a drink of coffee and looked towards the tent. A moment later, Iola walked out, adorned in the same striking outfit she wore yesterday. Tight dark green DK crop top. Very faded designed jeans, leather kicking sandals, and her hair probably shocked Joe the most since all that remained was that pixie cut and she wore some light makeup and, of course, the jewelry she hadn't yet removed. Joe stood and looked at his significant other. He took on the look of a very happy man with a huge smile breaking out. He noted the skimpy push up bra and the exposed mid section.

"Whoa! Iola Leann, my baby." he said taking her in his arms. The others averted their eyes while she and Joe shared a much needed kiss. As if all this wasn't enough, Frank, who was just taking a drink of coffee dropped his cup to the ground and sat with his mouth gaping. The others turned to see his gaze fixed upon Callie Shaw, new shorter and darker hair, crop top above the navel. Low riders hugging her shapely hips and behind. Leather sandals.. And he noticed the pierced navel and his eyes got wider. She walked over and took the coffee pot. Clearly all eyes were on her. She bent over to grab a cup and Frank immediately spied her tattoo. He paled. Callie was clearly doing this to torture him. Chet sat back about ready to burst. Callie sat down next to him and kissed him.

"Morning , sweetie." she said. "Hi guys." she said casually with a wave. Frank had not taken his eyes off her and began to root for his coffee cup without really looking for it.

"It's between your legs, Frank." Callie said observing.

"Wha–what??" he asked totally taking the statement out of context. She smiled and pointed to the coffee cup sitting between his legs that he was unable to get a grasp on.

"The coffee cup." she said smoothly. Chet was about to burst with laughter. Even Joe couldn't resist seeing his brother's incredulous expression.

"Hi Cal." Joe said. "Wow, you look great. By the way I love the tattoo!" Callie smiled to him.

"Thanks Joe. It hurt." Joe laughed.

"Yeah, I bet! But wow. You and Iola are like totally changed over. I am really impressed." Callie nodded with a smile. Fenton Hardy had been silent to this point watching the human act take place. He had to give a slight smile at watching a woman's revenge in action. He had to admit that Callie was a fine woman and was respectful and honorable and apparently Frank didn't always appreciate that. He knew Chet would. Frank would survive. Fenton cleared his throat.

"Indeed you look wonderful Callie. Can you tell us about how the meeting went when returning the Tiffany Jewels. Chet seems to have forgotten to elaborate on it." he said with a smile and wink. Callie smiled.

"Well, sir. The CEO was a wonderful man. They all were. Well, we got a great night in a penthouse. Chet was given a great alligator briefcase. Ad Iola was given that great necklace and bracelet." Joe looked at Iola and smiled.

"Say, those pieces look great. They are real??" he asked incredibly. Fenton smiled in amusement.

"Tiffany doesn't market fake jewelry, son. It's real, be assured." Joe gasped.

"What's it worth?" Iola smiled.

"A little over $50,000." Joe took a breath.

"$50 grand?? Wow baby. Please, be careful wearing them. That is amazing." Callie smiled.

"And, they gave Chet and I this ring.." she said holding out her hand. The group looked intently at the ring. Fenton Hardy whistles low.

"That's a remarkable looking set of stones. So white, so clear looking." Frank looked perplexed.

"Very nice, Cal, but what is it doing on that finger of that hand?" he said noting it was on the ring finger of her left hand. Callie looked at him with significance. Fenton smiled broadly.

"Last time I checked Frank. That indicates a woman is betrothed. Would that be accurate, Chet?" He smiled to him. Chet grinned.

"Right you are, Mr. Hardy. Cal and I are engaged." Fenton nodded approvingly. Had She and Chet not known each other since third grade he might have been critical of the proclamation but knew they were both intimately familiar with each other at this point and were quite aware of each others personality and lifestyle.

"Congratulations then!" Mr. Hardy said shaking Chet's hand. "This is indeed great news." Tony offered Chet his hand.

"Congrats Chet! You are so lucky. And Callie, you are devastatingly beautiful. I am betting you are both going to be very happy." Chet smiled.

Joe smiled and offered a hand.

"You are the man. I am happy for the both of you. This is going to be great." Frank had had a dazed look on his face but sucked it up knowing this was part of the progression. He smiled.

"My warmest Congratulations to you guys. You are both very lucky!" Chet and Callie nodded.

"Thank, all of you." they said. Mr. Hardy raised an eyebrow.

"Just for my trivial interest, Chet. How much did they value that ring. It is stunning." Chet swallowed hard.

"Well sir, the center stone is flawless." this in itself made Fenton Hardy take on an impressed look. "And the two side stones are internally flawless. With tax, the out the door price on the ring is over $460,000." There was a collective gasp from the others. Kelly dropped his coffee cup and looked down at it,

"My, oh my, that be a valuable ring Miss. Shaw. Very impressive. Surely glad my wife doesn't have to have one of those." he quipped. Fenton Hardy smiled at this.

"I think we are all glad. Mrs. Hardy will indeed be surprised by this." He said taking another cup. Tony slapped Chet on the back.

"Only you could take two beautiful women to New York City and get to stay at the best room in the city and have the finest jeweler on earth give the ladies over half a million is jewelry. What do you do for an encore?" Chet smiled.

"Well, Tiffany and the insurance carrier did give us a little cash to go with it." Tony broke into a laugh.

"I had to ask. Ok Chet. Did they give you money for the wedding too? Ya know, slipped you 50 grand to have a nice wedding to boot?" Chet nodded.

"Heh, no, they didn't give us $50 grand." Joe smiled semi compassionately.

"Well Chet, you got that $50 grand reward last case with the missing child. Guess ya can't get 50 big ones ever time." Chet shook his head.

"Nope. Afraid ya can't. No, Callie and I only got $3.8 million this time." Tony looked at him intently, as did everyone else.

"Did you say Three Point Eight Million Dollars??" Chet took a drink of coffee and nodded.

"Sure, Tony." Callie rolled her eyes a bit and gave Chet a mock push.

"Ok, smart ass." She turned to the others. "The standard rule as we shockingly found out was that the reward was ten percent of the value of the recovery. So we received $3,850,000.00." Mr. Hardy cleared his throat.

"Well, you certainly have scored big, guys. I am impressed. But please don't let that wealth go to your heads. Use your security wisely." he advised. Iola smiled.

"We have already started that, Mr. Hardy." she turned to Joe. "You know that house I like?" She asked. Joe thought and smiled knowing quite well that Iola had been making her desires known about that house on Bayview Avenue.

"Sure, I do. How could I forget with you always reminding me and asking how we can possibly buy it." he chuckled. Iola smiled and took out the title copy. He showed it to Joe.

"Chet just bought it for us." she said smiling broadly. Joe looked in shock.

"But that house was $400,000!" he stammered. Chet grinned,

"It's ok Joe. I only paid $300,000 for it." Iola giggled with excitement.

"And I have demanded that Chet and Callie live with us... I mean if it's ok." Joe looked about to Chet with a huge smile.

"My God Chet, you didn't have to do that. And, well, of course you can live there with us. That house is huge!" Mr. Hardy smiled.

"Well now, it seems like a good investment men. But if you don't overlook the fact that your parents tend to be a little old fashion, it might be prudent for at least there to be some weddings going on prior to this moving in together affair. I trust no one is opposed to that?" he smiled. Joe smiled back.

"Heck no I don't mind." Joe laughed.

"Sir," Chet started, "what about the mission at hand?" Fenton hardy smiled.

"Right you are, Chet. We suspect that the cabin is being occupied. Three unknown men took a figure who was close in size to Bill to the cabin. But so far we haven't seen them stick their nose out for any reason."

"That place is too small for four people to hang out at without coming out for some air." Chet said. Callie nodded,

"It was pretty small." She agreed.

"Why don't we just go down and bust the door in with guns drawn?" Tony countered. Fenton hardy shook his head.

"If one of the persons is bill there may be too much crossfire. I don't want to risk it." Chet looked up.

"What if there is a tunnel. Then they wouldn't likely be near the cabin in theory."

"But how can we be sure?" Mr. Hardy asked. Chet smiled and got up. He walked over into the tent and walked out with a bag. Frank smiled,

"What ya got Chet, some more suits? We could all go up to the door posing as Italian Johovas witnesses." Chet smirked.

"Nothing doing Frank. These suits cost five grand a piece. But I do have a special gift I picked up our friends last evening." He reached into the bad and pulled out the case of tear gas grenades. Fenton smiled instantly.

"Tear gas! Exactly Chet. It's harmless overall, but will cause all inside to be basically rendered neutral." Chet popped the case open. He then took out his weapon out and removed the bullets. He then opened another box and reloaded the gun with the bullets from that box.

"Bullets don't expire if they aren't used Chet." Frank said. Chet raised an eyebrow.

"We are going into a dangerous situation, Frank, And Bill might be around. These new cartridges I am using are a high power buck load. No slug Frank. So it will take someone out of commission, but they aren't often fatal." Mr. Hardy nodded.

"Great idea Chet. Do you have any in 357 or 38?" Chet fished some boxes out and tossed them over. He fished some more and handed a box to the girls.

"Here are some .380s for your PPKs." he said. Frank looked up half alarmed.

"Wait now. We are going to launch some assault with tear gas and storm the cabin and investigate but your taking them with you??" Chet nodded.

"Frank, Callie has proven to me she can take care of herself. She has snagged the last bad guy single handed. And Iola here took out a bad guys boat last night with a rifle. I think they have earned it." Callie smiled with pride at her man. Fenton Hardy looked over at Chet.

"I'd have to agree with you Chet, they have never proven to be liabilities. But tell me about this boat Iola took out." Chet went into detail about the boat that they noticed at Treeport and them subsequently blowing a couple holes in the hull and sinking it. Figuring they were definitely members of the gang since they fired a couple shots back. Fenton Hardy nodded.

"Obviously they were shadowing you, or saw you come in at Treeport and launched from there. At lest you handicapped them. Good work!"

Callie had switched out the cartridges in her main and backup clip and slung her gun back into her thigh holster. Joe smiled at this.

"Lara Croft inspired?" he quipped to Callie. Callie grinned.

"Kinda seems like it, huh." she said with a wink. Frank had been switching out the bullets and watching this exchange. He was muttering something under his breath. Callie looked to him. Frank averted his gaze, which was apparently upon her.

"What did you say, Frank?" Callie asked. Frank looked up.

"Nothing, I was just concerned about you and Iola is all."

"We'll be ok, Frank." Iola quipped, at the same time slamming a clip home into her PPK. Callie looked over to him

"Your uptight, it's obvious Frank. I'm probably the only person here, no offence Mr. Hardy, that can tell your moods well enough to know things. I suggest we get this case wrapped up so if nothing else we can go home and you can get together with Tiffany for some stress release." Chet and Joe and Tony couldn't help but laugh a bit. Even Mr. Hardy got a twisted smile on his face.

"Frank, the girls can handle themselves. I know I have always taught you to keep loved ones out of a danger zone, but I was more meaning back when Iola and Callie hadn't had proper defense and weapons training. That rule is more now applying to people who have had no training like your mother and aunt and other loved ones who could be vulnerable. I'm sure Callie appreciates your concern, but after all, she did collar one of our enemies already." Frank nodded slowly. He knew between his father and Callie they were pretty accurate with their words.

"I know dad. I'm sorry Callie and sorry to the rest of you. I do think we should take care of this one and get home." he said standing up and holstered his weapon.

"Ok." Mr. Hardy said. "Here's how it will go. Chet and Tony take the left flank. Frank and I will take the right. Chet will launch some gas. That will determine if anyone is in the immediate cabin. If not we charge the cabin. Frank and I will flank after Tony and Chet lead. Kelly. Joe and the girls will come in clean up ad reserve. Ok? Let's go to it!" he said as they rushed about. Chet loaded himself down with tear gas and two reserve guns. Tony checked his weapon and also placed the sawed off shotgun over his shoulder. He checked the radio. Frank and Mr. Hardy took their weapons and radio and headed off for the right. Joe took out another a hand radio and threw it to Kelly, who caught it with a laugh. He smiled to Joe.

"Your brother needs to get laid but quick, hoss." he said with his usual casual drawl.

"You got that right, Mr. Kelly." Callie said with a smile. Joe grinned.

"Can't argue with that, but gee Cal, you coming back looking like a million bucks and being worth 4 million probably salted the wound neatly. But when I think about it I have to laugh and basically admit he needs to get laid. But then again, so do I." he said significantly in Iola's direction. Iola grinned.

"You weren't the only one in need..."she returned. Standing up right next to him so that her reinforced breasts brushed him significantly. Joe was about to take her in his arms when Kelly smiled and cautioned.

"Whoa thea Hoss, your dad and my boss is gonna be on the radio in about 30 seconds making sure the backup is in place. And something tellin' me that you all ain't gonna finish in 30 seconds.." Joe smiled nodding.

"Right you are Kelly, let's go." They headed up the center to the rise. Chet and Tony meanwhile headed to the left of the rise near the cabin. Tony smiled to Chet.

"You lucky little shit! You are going to be married to Callie! God, Do she look,, I mean when she changed herself yesterday,, I mean she was always..." Chet held up a hand with a smile.

"It's ok, I know what your trying to say. She is Hot!! And thanks." Tony grinned.

"Hot is right man. Did she do that on her own? Or did you suggest anything?" Chet shook his head.

"She and Iola took off for several hours and came back looking new and different. I like it a lot. But she is the same Callie which goes well beyond looks. She is a sweetie."

"Frank sure screwed himself." Tony acknowledged. Chet laughed.

"Think he had it written all over his face when she came out of the tent." A moment later the radio crackled.

"Chet, Tony, are you ready to go?" Chet thrust a couple tear gas grenades in Tony's hand. He picked up the radio.

"Ready to go Mr. H." he said.

"Ok, count down 45 seconds,, from mark! Frank and I will follow if you go in if no one is flushed."

"Roger. Out." he said, "get ready Tony." he said looking down at his watch and drawing his gun. Chet counted down while Tony readied himself.

"Now!" Chet said. Tony Flipped the safety ring off one cannister and launched it with precision thru the single small window of the cabin. A small combustion sound was heard and then a purple smoke started pouring out of the cracks of the cabin.

"Give em another." Chet said. Tony nodded and repeated the procedure. More thick purple smoke came out. But no humans or even sounds of any could be heard.

"Must be an entryway to somewhere." he said. "Let's wait a few minutes for the smoke to clear a bit." Tony nodded. After no action for 5 minutes. Chet picked up the radio.

"We are going in. Now.." he said placing the radio back in the pocket. He drew his Smith & Wesson model 29 .44 magnum. Tony pulled out his Ruger .38 and they scampered down the rise and came to the front of the cabin. Most of the gas had dissipated. Chet still gave a bit of a cough though.

"Need to air it out. Knock that door out." he said. Tony kicked the door in. He stepped back as the reserve gas seemed to pour into the fresh daylight.

"That should clear it out." he said. They waited another five minutes and they stormed into the cabin. Chet entered each room gun first but found the whole cabin empty. He picked the radio out of his pocked.

"All clear. Come on down." With that the other two squads were all over the cabin.

"This has to be an entryway." Chet said looking about.

"Then let's find it." Fenton Hardy said firmly. The spread out and started tapping walls and floors. Frank and his father had focused on the kitchen. All they found there was a crate and a lot of dirt. Frank had used the blunt end of a screwdriver to tap on the floors. It sounded solid. Frank however couldn't believe there wasn't a door somewhere. He went outside and found a large size stone and brought it back to the kitchen. Fenton Hardy looked perplexed by this.

"What gives, son?" He asked. Frank grunted.

"I will be convinced the floor is solid only after I can tap this fifty pound rock on the floor and it tells me so." He progressed to heft the rock over the floor and drop it on select areas. When Frank thought his theory was goofy he dropped the rock near the corner of the kitchen. To his, and his father's surprise they heard a distant echo. Fenton Hardy smiled and nodded.

"Gotta be there Frank. Good job, everyone, in the kitchen." he commanded.

"Did you find somethin' boss?" Kelly asked. Fenton smiled to his son.

"Frank located an echo in the corner floor of the kitchen here." he said. Kelly looked down dubiously. The floor appeared to be a concrete mortar type mixture.

"Looks like a pretty heavy door if its thick and made out of concrete." Kelly said. "How do you lift that ton of concrete out?" he asked.

"Perhaps you don't lift it.." Joe speculated. The others looked to him.

"What if the door is actuated internally? And it goes down into the ground, not up." Fenton Hardy smiled.

"Exactly! Though that means we may be out of luck since I doubt anyone down there is going to open it up for us." Chet stepped up.

"Well, there is a way, though it isn't subtle." he said. The Hardys turned to him.

"How?" asked Frank. Chet reached into his coat and pulled out a medium size looking brick of a pale yellow dough like material. Fenton raised an eyebrow.

"Plastique? He asked. Chet nodded.

"It could get is in." he said. Frank looked dubious.

"And it could also drop a ton of rock on Bill's head underneath."

"If he's underneath." Chet countered. "If we are sure he isn't there it would be relatively safe."

"How do we make sure he isn't underneath?" Iola asked. Chet shrugged. I would bet Mr. Hardy or Mr. Kelly probably have an electronic ear handy." Fenton snapped a finger.

"Exactly. Since that has to be a doorway there has to be air gaps leading up to the floor of the cabin, despite them being cleverly hidden at the moment." he pulled out a wired device that looked like an old time wire bug. A small, but highly sensitive microphone and sensor that if placed on the floor of the kitchen would be able to hear deep within. Fenton placed it down on the floor. He plugged it into what looked like a small transistor radio, but was really a high powered amplifier. Fenton took out an earpiece and then turned the unit on.

"Everyone stay quiet." Kelly drawled. Mr. Hardy placed the sensor on several areas of the floor. Listening intently. He finally looked up.

"Not a peep." he said finally, he led the others out to the area in front of the cabin.

"Well, this could work." He looked over to Chet.

"Do you have anything to detonate that package?" Chet shook his head.

"No, but a grenade might work well." Mr. Hardy raised an eyebrow,

"You have a grenade handy?" Chet nodded. Mr. Hardy smiled.

"Perfect. Let's have it." Chet handed over the brick of explosives.

"You all had better step back over the rise. Kelly and I will plant the explosives." Frank nodded.

"Ok, be careful dad." he said and the others headed back over the hill. Mr. Hardy and Kelly went back into the cabin and into the kitchen. They dropped to their knees.

"Pretty sticky stuff, boss." Kelly snorted trying to shape it along a small crack . Mr. Hardy nodded.

"Sticky but deadly. Though it's a lot more versatile than TNT."

"Careful boss, I know that's pretty stable material but I'd hate to be the exception to the rule." Fenton Hardy smiled.

"Take it easy Kelly, you will be back in the desert busting cattle thieves in no time." Kelly snorted.

"Didn't say I wanted to be that bored." Another minute and Mr. Hardy was convinced he had the area where there was likely an opening outlined for the blast force.

"Let's do it." he said and they walked swiftly away. They went over the rise and the others were milling about waiting for the moment. Fenton Hardy looked to the others.

"Ok, let's have the grenades." Chet took one out and handed it over. Fenton Hardy looked to Frank.

"You're the quarterback. All you need to do is get it in the door. The explosion will detonate the plastique." Frank took the grenade. He hefted it to judge the weight and balance.

"Think you can send it in the door from up here on the peak?" Mr. Hardy asked? Frank nodded. Mr. Hardy turned to the others.

"Down below the rise folks. Frank, once you lob that pineapple jump back behind the rise." he said making his way down off the peak. Frank nodded.

He stood on the rise and judged the distance to the cabin below. He took concentrated aim. Then with a swift action he pulled the pin and lobbed the grenade over his arm. The grenade sailed swiftly just inside the cabin. Frank dove back. A few seconds later the first explosion of the grenade itself. Within a second the plastique detonated. A huge explosion rocked the ground. Mr. Hardy motioned to the others to proceed back over the edge.

"Nice throw Frank." Fenton Hardy snapped. The group headed back over the rise to see there wasn't much left to the cabin. They saw the basic frame of the cabin partly, but most was destroyed or on fire. The group surveyed that up close there was next to nothing left. What was more significant was the crater of a hole in the ground right where the kitchen was, Crumbled rubble lay about, but there was definitely a hole capable of accommodating human entry. Joe walked over to the hole and started moving the debris. Soon they found a hole about two foot square. Kelly pulled out a flashlight. He flipped it on and aimed the beam down.

"We got steps, boys." he drawled happily, "little dusty mind you but doesn't look like any obstructions." Mr. Hardy nodded.

"I will lead the way. If there is anyone even close to this tunnel then they had to have heard when we knocked on their door." he said drawing his weapon. He slowly made his way down the steps. Frank and the others followed. They soon all found themselves in an underground room. There was nothing in the room itself, but it did have two tunnels leading from it.

"What do you make of it, dad?" Joe asked amazed my the underground cavern. Mr. Hardy shook his head.

"Hard to tell. For all we know this whole hollow could be riddled with caverns and tunnels with a lot to explore. But at least we are closer to the answers. We'd better split up and search. Kelly, you, Frank, Joe and Tony head to the tunnel on the right. The ladies, Chet and I will take the left. Keep your radios ready and be on guard. We could run into a hornets nest down here and would hate to get caught by these desperate individuals. Ok, let's head out."

As soon as the others had left, Mr. Hardy, Chet and the ladies headed down the left passage. Mr. Hardy lowered a flashlight to the ground. He squatted and observed several sets of tracks.

"These aren't that old." he said, "though it is hard to tell accurately in an enclosed tunnel since the elements for the most part are never exposed to them." Chet looked about the ground.

"Lots of tracks though. Must be a lot of traffic." he said and they walked cautiously down the tunnel. They walked along uneventfully for what seemed forever when Mr. Hardy held up a hand. He pointed silently to an iron door that was in the side of the tunnel. Mr. Hardy pulled out the listening device and held it up to the door. He tried several places then finally looked up.

"I really can't tell Chet. This door must be very thick. And the jam is quite well insulated into the stone." Chet felt the door.

"Must be something pretty important behind that door. What do you think?" Mr. Hardy rubbed his chin.

"I'd like to get in there Chet. But that lock looks pretty discouraging at least with the lack of tools we have." Chet smiled.

"Who needs tools with this.." he said pulling out some more plastique. Fenton hardy's eyes rolled.

"That would do it Chet, but there is a risk doing it in a tunnel like this." Chet gestured.

"Well, what if we just take a little ball of it the size of a marble and jam it in the lock, back up and shoot it?" Fenton Hardy took a breath.

"Well, under the circumstances I think it would work. The blast would aim outward for sure and as long as there wasn't much of it there should be little to no risk of blowing the tunnel. Ok, lets do it. Girls, back up please." The ladies headed this advise and backed themselves down the passage. Chet took out a small ball of explosives and firmly planted it over the lock. The pair backed up to where they were far away from the door but could still take a shot clearly at it. Fenton Hardy pulled out his pistol and leveled it at the lock. He looked about then back at his target. He took careful aim then squeezed the trigger. With a blast from the pistol the bullet hit home and caused a small explosion. A moment later Chet and the girls joined Mr. Hardy. He gestured for them to follow. They made their way back to the door. The lock had been totally blown out. Fenton Hardy pulled hard on the door. It yielded!

"Lets get in here quick!" ordered Mr. Hardy who didn't want to attract any more attention than they may have. He, and Chet walked quickly through the door. Callie and Iola were walking through the door when a set of large hands pushed them forward into the room and slammed the door hard. The girls were thrown off balance and shrieked as they landed. Chet and Mr. Hardy turned to see the girls one the ground and the iron door shut. Chet and Mr. Hardy rushed to the door bu it had been secured by some means. They heard a heavy breathing through the hole of the broken lock and then a sinister voice.

"This will teach you to horn into our affairs." and with that the sound of footsteps faded down the tunnel. Chet and Mr. Hardy rushed back to help the girls up.

"Are you alright?" Chet asked concerned. They nodded slowly rising to their feet.

"Yes, just taken by surprise." Callie said brushing off her clothes. Mr. Hardy had been placing all his might at the door but it wouldn't budge.

"I don't know what they secured this door with but they did it well." he said rubbing his shoulder. Chet pushed on the door but it still refused to budge.

"Almost seems like he put a nice iron bar up against the door and the other end is jammed into the stone wall. Making this door virtually escape proof." Iola looked up.

"Don't you have any explosives left?" she asked. Chet shrugged.

"Wouldn't make any difference. The explosives would have to be placed on our side of the door. The iron door would assuredly aim the blast back at us." Mr. Hardy nodded grimly.

"I'm afraid Chet is totally right. We would likely kill or heavily injure ourselves getting free." Chet pulled out the radio.

"I'm not too hopeful about this." he flipped the radio on and spoke.

"Is anyone out there, over?" The radio remained silent.

"Nothing cuts out a radio signal better than stone walls and iron." Fenton Hardy said. "Well, let's take a peak around and see if there is indeed anything in here."

They looked about the room and found what appeared to be a lot of empty crates.

"There may have been valuables here," Chet started, "but it looks like they were taken out."

"Probably liquidated." Mr. Hardy said tersely. "Which if that theory is correct they must be getting ready to blow with a load of cash. This is bad. I was thinking that they were still in a stage of having more stolen assets than cash. It appears that they probably cut their losses in order to move easier and are now getting ready to take off with a pile of cash to set up shop goodness knows where." A moment later Callie squealed.

"Look. I am betting this is a clue." she said. Mr. Hardy and Chet turned to see Callie holding up a small broach. Everyone looked at it. Fenton took it and examined it closely.

"These look like real rubies to me. And this is set in platinum, see the hallmark designates platinum. And we know they don't set fake stones in platinum. They must have really had a good jewelry fence, since there has obviously been millions in jewels here. Yes, I'd say that if we are to catch them at all, we must get out of here. And quick!" Chet began to look over the area that made the room up but it appeared to be just a small cavern carved totally into the stone. He sighed.

"Unless someone has a hydraulic drill in their pants I'd say the iron door is our best bet." Mr. Hardy looked grim.

"That is not reassuring." he said and sat down on a crate.

Meanwhile in the other tunnel, Kelly was leading the others deeper into the darkness. They used their flashlight sparingly. A moment later they heard a strange squeaking noise in the distance.

"Sounds like a door." Frank speculated. Kelly held his hand up.

"It did at that boys, we'd better be on guard." They progressed slowly down the tunnel. Five minutes later the tunnel appeared to curve and Kelly held up his hand. He gestured for absolute silence. There appeared to be a single figure walking down the tunnel in their direction! Kelly and the others pulled out their guns. The footsteps came close and soon a figure loomed within a few feet.


	17. Chapter 17

Kelly pulled out his pistol and the man nearly walked into it. He stopped short. Joe turned on a flashlight to see a man of about 35 with dark hair and wearing dark clothes have a look of surprise on his face.

"Not a word." Kelly warned. "You utter a sound and I see how resistant your face is to bullets, ok?" The figure nodded.

"Check him over Frank." Kelly said quickly. Frank shook down the man to find a set of keys and some cash, but no ID. Kelly looked back down the tunnel but saw and heard nothing. He focused his attention back to their captive.

"Ok smartass, we have a couple of our friends as your guests. You understand?" He nodded fearfully.

"Now then," Kelly continued. "You will lead me to where you are keeping them prisoner or I will make an effort to see how many shells I can put into your narrow ass." The man sneered but nodded upon seeing Kelly acting so free with a loaded gun under his nose.

"Lead on then." Kelly ordered. And in case you have an thoughts about overpowering me, they have something to say about it." he gestured to the others who also had guns pulled and aimed levelly at him. He nodded in defeat.

"Look, I just deliver goods to people. I'm not kidnaping anyone. I see where a couple guys are locked up, but I had nothin to do with it. I just deliver goods to people and they take them." Kelly nodded

"Oh, I believe you on that, son. But if you are thinking that deliverin stolen goods has a slap on the wrist sentence then try on accomplice to murder and kidnaping." The man visibly paled.

"Ok, I will show you were they keep the guys who got in the way." Kelly prodded him with the gun.

"Ok, go to it or I will make sure you hang for 35 years for attempted murder."

"Man, I don't know nothin about no murder." Kelly snorted.

"Convince the jury of that son, now move." He slowly moved back in the direction from which he came they started coming to areas that were seemingly more refined. There were iron doors hanging here and there. But no sounds came from any of them. Another five minutes walking came to a large door on the left. He paused before it.

"This is where I saw two guys tied up. That's all I know." Kelly snorted before the large iron door.

"Do you have a key?" he asked. The man shook his head.

"No, I was only given keys for rooms where there were items I needed to deliver." He said. Joe was busy trying the keys from the key chain they had taken from the man, but sure enough no keys were present that fit this particular door. Tony placed an ear to the door. He lifted his head.

"That iron is pretty thick guys, no way of telling unless we had a sound magnifier. Or a locksmith." Kelly shook his head and looked at the lock.

"The only way we get in there is by blasting away with magnum artillery or explosives. None of which is discreet." he turned back to the prisoner.

"Ok, where do the main gang or boss hang out? Is he around here?" The man started sweating. He clearly did not want to answer the question. Kelly placed the gun to his head. "Remember yet?" he asked more forcefully. Finally the prisoner nodded. He led them down to another door and gestured that he'd need a key. Joe handed the key chain to him and they watched him closely. He opened the door and led the way in. The room was small but a door on the other side of the room was in plain view.

"There is a small corridor past that door and then their office in at the end. I can't get into that room without a key, which I don't have and I can promise you it's quite locked. Even if people are in there." Kelly nodded.

"You better not be messin with me son, or I will mess with you." He pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

"Ok son, hands under your legs." the prisoner complied and was soon sitting on handcuffed hands and pretty immobile. Satisfied the group headed slowly toward the other door. Kelly tried it and it opened. This was not too surprising as it was merely a door into a stone hallway. Kelly took out the flashlight and aimed it down the corridor. There was indeed a door at the end, and more importantly a bright light shone from under it.

"Good chance there's someone in there." Kelly whispered to the others.

"What do we do?" Tony asked. Kelly nodded. And gestured they return back to the room. Kelly walked over to the prisoner.

"What's your handle, boy?" he asked, "and don't lie or I will be mighty pissed." The prisoner looked up.

"They know me as Trent." he said. Kelly nodded.

"Let's hope so." he said and gestured for the others to follow. Quietly the sidled up to the door with the light under it. Kelly gestured for Tony to take out his sawed off shotgun and get ready to poke it between the door. Tony nodded and came up. Everyone had their weapons drawn. Kelly rapped sharply on the door. A rustling sound was heard from within. Footsteps sounded to the door. A rough voice sounded.

"Yeah?" came the voice. Kelly tried his best to duplicate the voice of their prisoner.

"Trent." he said sternly. A moment later the sound of the lock being unlatched was heard. The door slowly opened. Tony jammed the barrel of his shotgun in. Kelly pushed the door open. Tony had the man covered who opened the door, however as the door opened wider a second figure from the corner got off a shot from a handgun which caught Tony in the shoulder.

"Yow!!" Tony shrieked falling to the floor. Kelly returned fire. A series of pistol cracks as fore was exchanged. Frank saw one of the figures fall back to the floor and the other pointed his gun in Kellys direction again. Frank took careful but quick aim and fired. The buckshot caught the man square on the leg and he fell back. Joe jumped over Tony and ripped off a couple more shots towards the left of the room which had been obstructed by the door. Another shot fired barely missing Kelly. He fired back hitting the man's other leg. By the time all had filed into the room, Kelly had the man to the left covered and the other lay on the floor bleeding from the shoulder. Frank jumped over and kicked the man's gun out of the way. Joe had collected what guns where in view and Kelly bent down to help Tony. He was still conscious. He looked up.

"Ow,, this damn well hurts, ya know?" Kelly smiled.

"Your gonna be just find. You were just clipped." he said observing that the bullet had passed through soft tissue around Tony's shoulder.

"Can you get up?" he asked. Tony winced but tried. He was able to come to his feet. Frank and Joe were busy securing their prisoners.

"Looks like we got two legs with buckshot and one in the shoulder of this other guy." Joe called over. He looked down at the men.

"Hey Kelly, any of these guys look familiar to you?" frank asked. Kelly took a few steps over. He nodded.

These guys are the right hand man to David Sharptons gang. So these were the same guys we were tracking on the other side of the state. Sharptons the ringleader. Say boys, wanna tell me where your boss went?" Kelly asked. The one with the leg wounds managed to laugh,.

"Your too late. The boss should be out of this place for good soon. And we took care of your friends too." This last statement made the Hardys nervous.

"Search em for keys." kelly commanded. Frank went through their pockets. He found two key rings and a large quantity of personal cash. Frank walked over

"We have a couple dozen keys and about ten grand in cash." Kelly nodded.

"Frank, take the keys back to that other room and try them out, see if there's anyone there. Joe, take these extra handcuffs and make our guests even more immobile than they already are." Joe nodded taking the cuffs. After securing the prisoners Joe and Kelly left them behind making sure that they had no weapons laying around. They helped Tony walk back down the corridor. Kelly had found a shirt in the office and given it to Tony to keep on his wound. They went to their first prisoner. Kelly stood above him

"Two of your bosses are laying on the floor in there bleeding, unless you want to join them you will tell me where the boss would be leaving here from." The prisoner sighed.

"Go down this corridor we came in from. Go three doors down and on the left will be a door. Take it. There's a ladder leading to a passageway which leads to an underground cavern with water. There is a waterway that leads to the river." he said without thought. Kelly nodded and the three headed down the corridor. They found the door but it was locked. Kelly looked about for Frank, as he had the keys but he was not to be seen.

"No time." Kelly muttered taking out some spare cartridges from his pocket. He replaced those into the gun from the buck shot he had in earlier. With .38 high power shells he should be able to blow the lock. He took careful aim and fired. The explosion roared through the cavernous area. The lock took damage but not enough. Kelly fired again. This time the lock totally pushed out of the door. Kelly pushed the door in and sure enough there was a ladder. The two looked to Tony who shrugged.

"Get that guy, just because I can't scale a ladder doesn't mean he needs to get away. Get him if he is still around. I will wait for Frank." Kelly and Joe nodded and raced for the ladder. They slid down it and found a slanted corridor. Kelly and joe raced down it, weapons drawn. They soon arrived at a doorway which was open. They crept into what was indeed an underground waterway. No sooner had they arrived than the sound of a motor starting was heard. The motor was that of a speedboat that had just turned it's motor over. They rushed in. They saw a black speedboat getting ready to pull out of a dock area. A bald man was at the helm. Joe drew his gun and leveled it.

"Freeze!" he said above the motor whine. The man looked up in alarm. Upon seeing Joe and Kelly he reached under his seat and pulled out a large semi automatic and started firing all around the area where Joe and Kelly were standing. They fell to the floor to avoid the flying bullets. Joe returned fire but with his cartridges being buck grade they didn't have much drive or force. Kelly took out his revolver which now had actual slugs in it. He made careful aim and fired! The shot apparently missed as the boat shot forward without any obvious difficulty.

"Damn!" Kelly cursed, "Outta the real stuff." Joe had emptied his pistol but to no avail. He looked up grimly and looked at his gun.

"See what you mean. This is like bird shot on anything real. Too bad Chet isn't here, I'm sure he would have a grenade handy." The sound of the motorboat faded. Kelly kicked some rocks.

"We've been tryin' to nail that boy's ass for months now and he got away. No way we can follow. If there is any boat hidden around here it's probably locked up without keys. By the time we'd get to our boat he would be halfway to China." Joe shook his head in disgust.

"Damn. I wonder where dad is." he said aloud. "We'd better tend to Tony and see about the prisoners." Kelly snorted

"We better find your dad, he will want to know." Joe nodded.

"I will go search for him. Can you handle the prisoners and Tony?" Kelly nodded.

"I will dig up Frank. We should handle it. But I'd suggest looking for him locked up somewhere. That one fella indicated he was taken care of possibly. So at least go bang on some of these iron doors and see if anyone bangs back. I will get Frank on it with those keys too and see what we come up with. Also I am gonna see if I can get through to the state police." Joe nodded.

"Ok, Kelly. Good luck!" He said and ran back up the passageway they had come from. Joe immediately returned to the main tunnel where they had captured their first prisoner and backtracked so he could follow the tunnel the others had taken. Joe had finally reached the main room below the now blown up cabin. He entered the other tunnel and ran down it, freely aiming his flashlight about. He was running fast when the tunnel began to turn. He then noticed a door. It had a large iron pry bar wedged against it. He stood their and caught his breath. He then pounded on the door.

"Hey, is anybody in there?" joe called. Almost instantly Chet bellowed back.

"Joe, is that you, pal?"

"Yes Chet, it's me." he said.

"We're stuck, can you help us out?" Joe smiled in spite of the situation.

"I guess I can Chet. What do I get?" he called half jokingly trying to move the pry bar. Iola's voice sounded with a little agitation.

"It's what you WON'T get if you don't open this door, Joe Hardy!" Joe smiled and laughed then redoubled his efforts. Finally he managed to pull the large iron bar from the position it was wedged between the door and jam. He pulled on the heavy door. Iola wrapped her arms around him.

"God thank you for coming." she said relieved. Callie, Chet and Mr. Hardy came out.

"Good work son." Fenton Hardy smiled. "Where are the others?" he asked noticing Joe was alone. Joe took a breath.

"We managed to find three of the bad guys. The first one was a delivery boy. The others Kelly identified as cohorts of Sharpton." Mr. Hardy clinched his fist.

"So this is indeed Sharpton's crew. Did you find the man himself?" Joe looked dejected.

"He got away. Apparently their method of trafficking the goods was by underwater waterway that connected the river to an area in this maze of caverns and tunnels. He fired but he was taking off in a speedboat when we found the waterway." Mr. Hardy looked grim.

"Loaded down with money I bet, too!" Joe looked back up.

"But maybe we can get something from the guys we caught. Kelly is supposed to be getting the state police down here. We had a little firefight. We took one guy down with shots to the legs and another we nailed his shoulder. But they managed to get Tony before he put them down."

"Tony got shot?" the girls chorused. Joe nodded but smiled.

"Just a flesh would in the shoulder though, he's up and at em. Just can't climb ladders. Frank is following up on a lead that may find the captain and Bill." Fenton Hardy wasted no more time.

"Take us to the area where this is happening." he said. Joe nodded and led the others back down the tunnel. They headed up the other tunnel and soon found a relieving sight. Frank and Tony were standing there with Bill and an older man. Fenton Hardy smiled.

"Thomas! Is that you!?" he asked. The old man turned and smiled broadly.

"Fenton, you are here! Yes, it's me. Your brilliant son has just freed me and this young man, Bill." Fenton smiled broadly.

"Wonderful work Frank! Bill, Thomas, are you alright? Are you hurt?" They shook their heads.

"No worse for wear, Fenton. Did you all get the man responsible for this?" Fenton shook his head slowly.

"From what I have been told he has gotten away, but we did get a few of the others." he walked over to Tony and examined his wound.

"You are indeed lucky, Tony. A few more inches and it would have made a lot of difference. We will get you to a doctor as soon as we can." He looked to Frank.

"Where's Kelly?" he asked. Frank looked up.

"He went to the surface to summon help. His cell phone didn't work down here." Mr. Hardy nodded.

"We should have some help then soon." he said. Callie and Iola had taken the liberty to help Tony sit down in the room that was once the prison for Bill and the captain. They tended to his wound. Tony smiled while the two girls fussed over making him feel better.

"Shame I had to take a bullet to get you ladies to look after me so." Callie smiled.

"Shhh, save your strength, I know it isn't serious, but getting shot is still getting shot."

The group looked about the room and saw it consisted of three cots and two chairs and not much else. After hearing the captain's tale which consisted of him investigating strange noises from the hollow one night.

"I thought it was a woman screaming..." Thomas went on. "I took my rifle and headed down the slope into the hollow. I saw a group of men carrying crates. That's when I was jumped. I fired off a couple shots but they went wild. I was overpowered and taken prisoner. I was mainly kept here, but had been taken to a couple other places during captivity." He sat back in thought.

"That's why I wrote you. Because it had happened before. Strange screams and noises. They figured to be something suspicious. I'm afraid I was little too old to be investigating." Mr. Hardy smiled.

"Just so your safe now. That's all that counts."

The group sat around regaining their strength when a noise was heard down the tunnel. Mr. Hardy went out in the tunnel to look and was soon relieved by the sight of Kelly leading a group of state police officers and paramedics.

"Kelly, thank goodness!" Mr. Hardy smiled. Kelly smiled with a cigar hanging in the corner of his mouth.

"I ever let ya down boss?" he smiled. He led the state police up the tunnel to round up the prisoners. One of the paramedics also escorted them. A paramedic stayed behind to tend to Tony.

"Lucky guy." he said working on cleaning the wound. "We can patch ya up here and it will hold until you get to a doctor." The paramedic patched Tony's shoulder up and gave him a painkiller. The paramedic then checked over the captain and Bill deeming them both injury free. Chet handed Bill a bottle of water, as well as the captain.

"How goes it Bill?" Chet smiled, "good to see you in one piece." Bill grinned.

"Not bad for getting snagged twice. Guess I better go back and get some training at the FBI camp again. That's kind of embarrassing." Chet smiled.

"Could have happened to any of us." he said.

Momentarily the others returned back down the tunnel. One of the prisoners was on a stretcher while the others were following behind, wary of the police rifles pointing and prodding them along. One officer stopped before Mr. Hardy,

"We are gonna put thee birds in a cage after some medical attention. If you find the need to interrogate them our base office and holding facility is in Treeport. At least you got some of them so that should help and they will be tagged with a nice little kidnaping rap as well as possible hijacking and theft charges." Mr. Hardly smiled grimly.

"When I get Sharpton I will be happy.." The officer nodded.

"There will likely be some detectives over shortly to collect any evidence left behind. Let us know if you find anything pertinent." Mr. Hardy nodded and watched the group leave. Mr. Hardy turned to the group. Why don't you all head back to the camp and make a meal up. Kelly and I will go and inspect the office area where the two were caught." Chet nodded,

"Ok, Mr. Hardy." he said. Frank stepped up.

"Dad, do you mind if Joe and I go down and inspect that waterway where Sharpton escaped from?" Mr. Hardy nodded.

"That would be fine, Frank." he said. Joe and Frank took off. Chet, Tony, Bill and the girls headed out of the tunnel and Mr. Hardy and Kelly walked towards the office.

"I did call the water patrol and the coast guard, if he goes that far anyway, to be on the lookout for that black boat." Kelly said. Mr. Hardy nodded.

"Good precaution , but if we know Sharpton he will dump that boat and be on the road sooner than later. He probably has enough cash on his to buy a Hawaii, the possibilities are endless."

"Let's hope he lays low before investing in satellite technology." Kelly snorted while puffing on his cigar. Mr. Hardy shrugged somewhat hopelessly.

"We should be so lucky." he said. They entered the office which appeared to be nothing more than a casual hangout rather than an office which would have held records and files and such.

"I'll be real surprised if we find anything." Mr. Hardy muttered, "if he was heading out anyway that means this room is probably clean."

Down the passage Frank and Joe went. Joe led Frank to the underground waterway. The large cavernous room had a small channel of water leading into it.

"Nifty little arrangement, huh?" Joe observed. "Take your stolen goods in by truck and export by boat, or the other way around." Frank nodded grimly as they looked around.

"Pretty efficient." He noted that the waterway went through the cavern and curved around to a blind spot.

"Say, what's over there?" he asked. Joe shrugged.

"Probably nothing. I guess the waterway ends there and its just a pool. I don't think it leads anywhere. Just stone." He said. Frank made his way around the waterway's edge and headed to see.

"Hey Joe! Come here." he called. Joe rushed over. Frank stood next to a speedboat. Joe slapped his head.

"Damn, there was another boat here all along. Kelly and I cold have caught him!" Frank gestured.

"Maybe all is not lose Joe. What do you figure the odds are that Kelly and Dad have the water patrol and such scouring the area?" Maybe this guy is held up somewhere." Joe brightened up.

"Yeah! Say, let's appropriate this craft and see what we can do." He said. Frank nodded and they jumped into the medium size speedboat.

"Damn, no key." Joe cursed. Frank held up the key rings he had gotten from the prisoners.

"I will bet its on here." he said looking through the keys. Sure enough the key to the speedboat was there and Joe cranked the motor over and smiled.

"Let's go!" Frank said. Joe hit the throttle. The boat jumped from where it was sitting and headed down the waterway. The waterway was a narrow channel of water that went a long through the darkness. Joe flipped the lights on. The lights illuminated the small waterway,

"We must be way underground." Frank remarked, "we should be coming to a regular river branch at some..." he was cut off by Joe immediately killing the lights and motor. He gestured with sign language that there was something up ahead.

"Let's get out of the boat and investigate ahead. I think our man is up there!" he whispered. Frank nodded. They silently lowered themselves over the edge of the boat and made their way to the more shallow side. They cautiously maneuvered themselves forward. Soon it was evident what Joe meant. At the end of the long waterway was an opening. The opening however was blocked by a set of bars set into a grid.

"Bet they built that to discourage anyone from accidentally boating into the area." Joe whispered. Frank nodded as they saw a black speedboat. In the water nearby was a large bald man who was struggling with the iron drop gate. They heard the man cursing in low tones.

"Looks like he's having trouble getting the gate up!" Frank said excitedly. Joe held up a hand.

"He is armed with a semi auto. So lets watch it." Frank nodded and pulled out his pistol.

"What I wouldn't do for one of Chet's uzis about now." Frank muttered. "All have loaded in this thing is that buckshot. Which means to have stopping power I have to be in range." Joe nodded as they crept further up. The bald man was apparently having great problems raising the gate far enough to accommodate the boat. Frank took advantage of his concentration on the gate to edge up within 10 foot of the man. He steadied his pistol on the subject.

"Freeze, scumbag." Frank commanded. The man turned abruptly. He looked menacingly at Frank. He had apparently not seen Joe, as he had disappeared from sight.

"So it's the punk again! What are you going to do about me taking a walk right out of here?" Frank flinched.

"Give up and come peacefully! Now" the man smirked and reached under the water and came out with a semi automatic pistol. Frank fired, but the pattern of the buckshot spread and barely caught the mans arm, merely agitated the man returned fire. Frank dove to the side at the rat-tat-tat of the rifle cracked across the water. Frank rolled to one side and pulled his gun and leveled it again. He fired and caught the man squarely in the ass with most of the buckshot.

"Ow!!! You little bastard!" he screamed wincing. He twisted and fired away again with the semi-auto,, rat-tat-tat.. The bullets nearly hitting Frank but he dove back just in time! The man winced in pain as he tried to walk over towards Frank to get a better shot. At that moment Joe had been swimming deep underwater. He grabbed the man's legs from under and pulled him under. The man screamed going off balance as Joe surfaced. Frank did not waste a second as he joined in. The man surface and Frank cracked him firmly on the jaw with a right cross. Joe Put his pistol against the man's head before he got any further inspiration to attack.

"Think about it pal, at 1 inch from your neck I could have a single pellet loaded and still hit a major vein. With magnum buckshot Id say at this range on your neck the blast would rival that of a 20 gage shotgun. Are you feelin lucky?" Frank had seized the semi-auto and held it against the sullen prisoner.

"You'd better clear out of here before my boys come down here and take you out!" he threatened. Frank smiled testily.

"Are these the same boys who just lost a firefight with us upstairs?" The man looked visibly shocked. Frank smiled.

"Keep him covered Joe, I'm gonna have a look in that boat. At this the man actually gave a half smile. Frank climbed into the craft. But to his dismay he found only some food, clothes, camping supplies and about ten thousand cash. From what his father figured there should be millions he would be making his escape with. Frank looked over to Joe and shook his head.

"Let's get this guy back to the others." he said. Joe nodded and pointed a finger in the direction from which they came.

"Ok pal, that way. You try anything and I will put you on the list for a kidney donation." The man grudgingly walked along. Frank and Joe watched their prisoner well knowing that he was the brains of the outfit. It was well evident however that their prisoner wasn't in the physical condition to try escape. He was bleeding from the arm and from the ass. Walking seemed to be getting difficult. They retraced their steps though the passageway and up the ladder. Within a few minutes frank and Joe were prodding their prisoner back to the office room. Fenton Hardy and Kelly were still in there rooting about. Upon seeing the strange entourage Fenton Hardy smiled with delight.

"Frank, Joe, you caught Sharpton!" he said. Frank smiled.

"Well, he did try to kill us first, so we had to plant some buck shot in his ass and that slowed him down." Joe pushed the prisoner into the room.

"He had a security gate down in the waterway and it must have jammed or something but he couldn't get it up to pass by." Mr. Hardy smiled.

"Excellent work! Did you find any money?" The boys shook their heads and Sharpton smiled.

"And you won't. Do you think I'd be stupid enough to carry it with me while the heat was on?" Mr. Hardy smiled.

"No, but at least you just let me know that it apparently exists. Looks like you were able to fence all the hijacked loot and was on your way to talk with those scientists and offer them a deal of a lifetime."

"What are you talking about?" Sharpton fired, but one could tell he was clearly alarmed by what Mr. Hardy knew.

"Well, since you haven't bought any scientific secrets on satellite security yet we can call this a fairly successful case. With the exception of the missing money and all the honest people you ripped off. Not to mention attempted murder! But you will have time to think about all of that. Cuff him, Kelly!"

"Right Boss," Kelly drawled, "reckon we better notify the police to get back here."

"That wont be necessary a voice came from behind. The Hardys and Kelly looked in the corridor to find a contingent of state police officers and detectives. A man in a black suit stepped forth. He pulled out an ID.

"Agent Spalding, State police. Excellent work, as usual detective Hardy." Mr. Hardy smiled,

"Thanks, but Frank and Joe made this collar." Detective Spalding turned to the youth with a broad smile.

"Excellent work fellows. I have of course heard of your reputation also. You will be happy to know you have stopped a national security threat. This bird had it all arranged to buy trade secrets regarding satellite technology and how it works with our nuclear defense systems. Had he actually made the transaction he would have put a huge hole in our line of defense. You and the rest of us will be able to sleep better knowing he is behind bars."

He had a state trooper fit the prisoner with shackles.

"Better get him a medic, too, Williams. Looks like he's leaking." he said. A trooper nodded and led the prisoner down the tunnel. Spalding turned to the Hardys.

"Was there any money recovered?" he asked. Fenton Hardy shook his head.

"Nothing yet. He must have hid it well on the contingency that he'd get pinched." Spalding nodded.

"Figures. And he probably has it squirreled away well, too." Mr. Hardy stepped forward,

"Boys, I want to take a peak at that boat he was making his getaway in." Frank and Joe nodded. Mr. Hardy looked at Kelly.

"Kelly, brief the state boys. I am going down to look at that boat." Kelly nodded.

"Right, boss." he said casually. Fenton Hardy and his sons headed down to the waterway area. Upon reaching it they made their way down the side where a small path went along the side of the channel. Ten minutes hard walking brought them to the area where they apprehended Sharpton. They came upon the large black speedboat still floating before the gate that wouldn't open.

"Well, let's take a closer look." Mr. Hardy suggested. The three waded out to the boat and pulled themselves aboard. Fenton Hardy started searching the stern while his sons took to the bow. Frank looked over his shoulder.

"What are we likely looking for dad? As it's a cinch there isn't a couple million in cash laying onboard." Fenton Hardy smiled

"Documents son. Anything that records their criminal activity. Anything at all." he said. Frank and Joe found this a bit defeating as they searched in every compartment they could find and nothing appeared. Joe then looked down at the floor. There was the typical stick mat type flooring you found in boats, but in one area the mat seemed to be raised slightly. He bent down and started pealing the edge of the mat away at the edge and carefully pulled the floor mat back. Sure enough there was a small watertight box. Joe seized it and found it to contain several data discs.

"Oh dad!" he said excitedly. Mr. Hardy turned around to see Joe holding up a box of data CDs. He smiled.

"Excellent work Joe! The info on these discs will hopefully tell us what we want to know." He looked about. "I'm pretty sure this is all there is here. Let's let the state boys take over this hideout and boats." He and the boys left the boat and made their way back to the main tunnel where the police contingent was making fast work out of checking the place over and making a thorough investigation. Fenton Hardy found detective Spalding.

"Joe recovered some data discs from the boat. Since I have federal jurisdiction over the case I'm going to go peel at them first. I will gladly make copies for you boys though. We will be staying at our camp over the rise from where you came in if you want to stop by later or you can radio." Spalding nodded.

"That's fine Detective Hardy." he said, "we will be here for some time to fine tooth comb the whole place." Mr. Hardy nodded.

"Very good. We are off then." he gestured to the boys and they headed out of the tunnels.

Ten minutes brought them hiking over the rise. There was a great smell in the air. They found Tony who was looking much better along with Bill, Thomas McGuire, Chet, Callie and Iola siting around a fire. Chet was grilling steaks.

"Hope you have plenty." Boomed Mr. Hardy. "Sorry we are late, but we had to catch Sharpton." The others looked up keenly interested. This time it was Frank and Joe's turn to enthrall the group with the capture of the ringleader. After they told the tale many eyes remained on them in awe.

"That's a hell of a tale, Frank." Chet said turning the steaks. Good to see you in one piece yet."

"What about the missing money?" Bill asked when told they had not recovered the large sum of cash that should have apparently been present. Mr. Hardy sighed.

"Well, I won't know much till I look at these discs. And with no computer handy I will just have to wait until we get home." Joe smiled looking up.

"We're going home?" Mr. Hardy nodded.

"There's not much more we can all do here. The police may even dig the cash up. But if not it isn't likely going anywhere. I know Sharpton wouldn't have let anyone else in on where he stashed it. Besides I think we could all use a warm bed, some time with our families, and Tony I am sure wouldn't mind a proper doctor looking his shoulder over. So, do you boys have a road vehicle parked around here somewhere?" Frank nodded.

"Chet's SUV is parked over at the captain's house." Mr. Hardy nodded. Then I suggest Chet, the girls and Tony head back to Bayport in the boat. The rest of us will hike back to the captain's and take Chet's SUV from there back to Bayport."

"When do you want to leave?" Joe asked. Mr. Hardy yawned.

"Let's say in the morning as I want to be around if the police find anything worthwhile, but I think it best for Tony to get to a doctor sooner than later, so Chet, if you don't mind, how about you and the girls taking him after dinner?" Chet smiled.

"No problem, Mr. Hardy. I was worried about that myself." the girls nodded their agreement.

So after they ate, Chet, the girls and Tony packed up some of the items of belongings and wished the others the best on their hike and speedy return to Bayport. Chet and the girls were especially attentive to Tony on their trek back to the boat.

"Are you doing ok, Tony?" Chet asked over his shoulder. Tony smiled.

"Fine Chet. I think we'll make it ok, but thanks for being concerned." He said. They made their trip easily within forty five minutes. Chet and the girls insisted that Tony rest at least while they uncover the boat. Soon the boat was uncovered and Chet had the motors churning away. Tony and the girls took seats. Callie smiled to Chet and kissed him.

"Take us out of the woods, I have seen enough of them sweets." Chet nodded with a smile. He turned the boat about and headed out of the hollow. It was a mellow ride, knowing that no one was watching them and they weren't pressed for time." Chet flipped through his CDs and soon the slow chugging sound of The Grateful Dead's Ripple filled the boat. Callie sat back next to Chet with a relaxed smile.

"I love this song, but how on earth did you know that? I've never played it outside of the solitude of my own bedroom." Chet gave a casual, unknowing look.

"I had no idea Cal. I was just hoping you'd like it." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. Tony cracked a smile.

"I think you guys were just meant to be." he said. Iola nodded.

"I'd have to agree. You guys just fit." she smiled.


	18. Chapter 18

Chet and the others cruised out of the hollow feeling a sense of fulfillment. The bad guys seemed to be all caught and Bill and the captain were recovered safe. They traveled for some time just listening to The Dead and enjoying the ride. It was pushing eight in the evening when Chet pulled the craft into Barmet Bay. Within minutes they were in the Hardy boathouse and securing the boat. Chet and Callie carried the supplies while Iola made sure Tony could make it to the car.

"I'm ok, mom." Tony joked as Iola helped him into the car. Iola smiled.

"Just making sure." she said sliding in next to him. Chet took the drivers seat and pulled out of the parking area and headed for Bayport General Hospital. Within ten minutes they were escorting Tony in.

By nine they were walking out with Tony receiving the attention he needed which required a new set of bandages, medicine and strict orders to rest and see his regular doctor within a week. They drove Tony to his parent's home, despite him having a loft apartment he used sometimes to get away.

"Will you be ok explaining to your mom and dad, or should we come in and help out?" Chet asked as they pulled up before the Prito home. Tony shook his head.

"They will be fine. Happy to see me in one piece and alive. It's cool. Give me a call tomorrow. Night Chet, goodnight ladies. Sweet dreams!" he said lightly and got out and walked into his house. Chet looked to the two ladies.

"Speaking of parents," he said looking over to Callie, don't you suppose we should be seeing yours?" he asked. Callie smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I think so. They will be so happy... I hope." she said. Iola smiled.

"It'll be ok, Cal. I will come and either get lost or run interference." Chet laughed.

"Your good at that sis. Ok, to the Shaw's" he said pulling away. Twenty minutes later they pulled up before the Shaw home. Chet smiled to his love, who appeared to be getting nervous.

"You ok, Cal?" he asked. Callie nodded somewhat assuredly.

"They won't be mad, will they?" she asked, as if Chet or Iola could realistically predict that. Iola smiled

"I think they will be happy Cal, though if you wanna cover the tattoo up with a longer shirt I have one in the bag." Callie nodded. She knew her parents were liberal enough, but that might be pushing it when other news may be more stressing enough. Iola handed her a button down shirt.

"Here Cal, just wear it over the crop and you don't even need to button it. It will look quite natural." Callie took it and slipped it on.

"Ok, let's do this." she said. She gave Chet a quick kiss and a smile. The three walked up to the Shaw home. A nice older Victorian home on the edge of town. Callie led the group in. She opened the front door. Mr. And Mrs. Shaw were sitting in the living room. Mr. Shaw was reading the newspaper and Mrs. Shaw was sewing. They looked up to the entering group. A smile formed on Mrs. Shaw's face.

"Callie, is that you, hunny?" she asked noticing it was her daughter's face, but hair was much shorter and darker than the last time she saw her child. Callie smiled.

"Yes, it's me, mom." she said with a slight nervous giggle. Mr. Shaw got up and walked over. He smiled. And hugged his daughter.

"Well, it is great to see you. I heard you went with the others on a case. I'm so glad to see you back safe. And wow, I like the hair, Cal." he looked down at his daughter. He paused slightly at seeing her exposed midsection in front. "Little drafty down there, isn't it? Heh heh" he smiled. He knew younger people had their styles and fads they kept in with and his daughter, who had been pretty out of the loop in that area for such a time, was finally coming around. Mrs. Shaw got up and also hugged her daughter. She looked down at her daughter's exposed navel, noticing the belly button ring, she smiled.

"That one missed your ear by a few foot!" she said with a laugh, "but it doesn't surprise me. I was looking though last month's Harpers and I swear just about every woman in that magazine had one of those. Hehe. It does look cute." she looked to the others and smiled,

"Hello Iola, Hi Chet. Are you guys all back from your case?" Chet nodded. Yes, all the bad guys caught and kidnaped parties freed. You can even thank your own daughter for catching one of them all buy herself." Callie blushed. Mr. Shaw smiled with pride.

"Really? Callie, you captured one of them? That is great. Quite an accomplishment." Callie grinned.

"It was a lucky break is all. Chet and I were investigating this old cabin and we split up. I just picked the room with the bad guy. He was distracted, so I just came up behind him and caught him." Mrs. Shaw looked apprehensive.

"And he didn't fight back?" Mr. Shaw let out a laugh.

"Now momma, she had matters in hand." he said taking his hand and patting his daughters thigh holster with significance. Mr. Shaw was fairly liberal and was a supporter of gun rights so the fact his daughter resembled Lara Croft decked out with a weapon strapped to her thigh didn't bother him in the least. Mrs. Shaw gave a smile but raised an eyebrow.

"Though if the case is done, Miss, I'd ask you to check your piece in the safe so we know there won't be any accidents." Callie smiled.

"Right you are, mom." she said and removed the holster and gun and walked over to the wall safe and opened it. She deposited her handgun next to a couple other guns and other family valuables. She turned.

"Ok, mom. Unarmed." she smiled to Chet, "I can't speak for Dirty Harry though." Chet grinned. He took out his Smith and Wesson and promptly unloaded it.

"Sorry, Mr. And Mrs. Shaw. Say, have my mom or dad called you lately?" he asked trying to detect if his mom or dad had yet spilled the beans. Mr. Shaw shook his head.

"I haven't heard from your parents for a good two weeks, Chet. Everything Ok?" he asked. Chet smiled.

"Oh yes. I just thought they may have contacted you. We were in town recently as we had some business in New York City."

"Really? The case took you out there? Whatever for? Kind of a far cry from hunting down kidnapers in Pennsylvania." Callie smiled.

"Well, Chet and I discovered some stolen jewels in the hollow and we had to return them to the city to the owners, who happen to be Tiffany & Co." Mr. Shaw whistled.

"Wow, that must have been some pretty pricey stuff." Iola nodded.

"We returned nearly $40 million in jewels." Mr. and Mrs. Shaw sat up, wide eyed.

"Goodness Callie. That was a lot. I hope you didn't have any problems getting it back to the company." Callie shook her head.

"Was a piece of cake. And Chet and I got a reward for it." The Shaw's appeared quite interested. Mr. Shaw smiled.

"Wow Chet, last case you got fifty big ones for returning a child. Now you return jewelry." Mrs. Shaw smiled to her husband,

"Well, I doubt they give you that for returning jewelry, but any money was welcome I am sure." She turned to her daughter,

"Callie, I hope you didn't spend that whole reward on a new hairstyle and clothes. Saving is always a good idea too." Callie smiled broadly.

"Well, I spent a little tiny bit on clothes and a hairstyle, but I did keep most of it. It's in the bank right now actually." Mr. Shaw nodded approvingly.

"That's my little girl smart as a whip. How much did you guys have left after you spent a little on yourselves? Yes, I know a good suit when I see it chet. Looks sharp son!" he said approvingly. Callie smiled.

"Well, I think after Chet and I spent a little on a couple important things, we should have somewhere near $3.5 million left in the bank." The Mortons stood up.

"Did you say Three and a half Million Dollars, dear?" Mrs. Shaw asked. Callie nodded seriously.

"Yep, we got ten percent of the value of the jewels. Half from Tiffany and half from their insurance carrier." Mr. Shaw coughed abruptly.

"Wow. I am not sure what to say. That is amazing. Such good fortune. Well I trust you are planning for your future." Iola giggled.

"You could say that Mr. And Mrs. Shaw." They looked to Callie questioningly.

"Oh, mom, dad, did you see the necklace and bracelet that Tiffany gave Iola." Iola smiled and leaned forward allowing a clear view of her necklace and bracelet.

"My dear, those are beautiful. Did they cost much or do you even know?" Chet nodded.

"The pair sells for over $50,000." The Shaws again were amazed.

"That was very generous of them" Mr. Shaw observed with a nod and a smile. Iola smiled.

"Thank you, but it was nothing compared to what they gave Chet and Callie." Mr. Shaw nodded,

"Well, Iola, of course thee and a half million dollars is more impressive, but I wouldn't sneeze at that jewelry your wearing." Iola shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I meant the other thing Tiffany gave to Chet and Callie." Mrs. Shaw looked to Callie

"They gave you something more than the money?" she gasped. Mr. Shaw looked questioningly.

"What on earth did they give you??" he asked totally curious. Callie took a breath, then she smiled and held out her left hand. Chet took a breath and watched the Shaws reaction to Callie's ring. Mrs. Shaw gasped.

"My, dear, look at that! It's beautiful. Those diamonds look so big and clear!" Mr. Shaw smiled and nodded.

"Yes indeed, That's a real beaut! It looks a lot like an engagement ring though. And wearing it on that finger, Cal. You'd better wear it on another finger if you want to appear available." Callie cleared her throat.

"Well, Mom, Dad, I really don't want to appear available.. Any more." Chet was pulling at his shirt collar to get some air. Either they were in shock or just didn't yet catch on.." Callie again cleared her throat.

"Mom,,, dad,, I am engaged." Mrs. Shaw's eyes grew wide.

"But I was under the distinct impression that you and Frank had called it quits and were dating others,,,," Callie shook her head.

"It isn't Frank, Mom." She said flatly. Mrs. Shaw sat there and blinked for a moment. Her eyes shifted about. They finally focused on Chet, who immediately smiled brightly somewhat out of fear. Mr. Shaw smiled.

"I got it! Chet Morton! You dog! I knew it. For years I saw you looking at Callie out of the corner of your eye." he looked at the frozen in place Chet and smiling Callie.

"It is Chet, right, baby?" Mr. Shaw asked Callie. Callie nodded smiling. Mr. Shaw smiled.

"Whew! This is great! Mom, what do you think?" Mrs. Shaw smiled, but was quite teary eyed...

"My baby is getting married." she said and started sobbing happily. She stood up and hugged Callie. Callie hugged her mother tightly as well and they cried together. Mr. Shaw slapped Chet's back.

"Chet, well I will be. You seized the opportunity. Wow man. This is great." he turned away from the ladies, "quite honestly," he whispered, "I am so glad it's you and not Frank. I mean don't take that wrong, Frank is a great guy, but he's a bit,,well, it's hard to say. His clock just seems wound a bit too tight. Know what I mean?" Chet smiled.

"I think you and Callie share that opinion quite heartily." he chuckled. Mrs. Shaw finally managed to smile beyond her tears. She walked over to Chet and hugged him and smiled to him.

"Oh, Chet. This is wonderful. You two will be so happy I know." Chet smiled and nodded.

"I can't imagine anything finer. Getting the money was shallow in comparison. But when Tiffany gave her the perfect ring that she had picked out beforehand, it was great." He said. Mr. Shaw looked down at the ring again.

"Wow. I am no expert, but I will guess they probably wanted $65 big ones for that. Was I close? 65 grand?" Callie shook her head.

"This ring out the door would cost in the $465,000 range. Give or take a few grand." Mr. Shaw and his wife gasped.

"That ring is worth nearly half a million?" Mr. Shaw asked. "Please hun, don't advertise that everywhere you go. Id hate that info to go in the wrong ear." Callie nodded.

"I know, dad. I will be careful." Callie said.

The Shaws, having a night of several shocks looked to their daughter. She appeared to be getting quite tired. Chet smiled to her.

"Hey angel, why don't you climb upstairs and hit the sack. We can meet up tomorrow to finish any business and start new business." he smiled. Callie nodded.

"I am beat. We have covered a lot of ground in the last few days. That is a great idea." she said. Her parents nodded approvingly, happy that their daughter was back and going to get some good rest in light of all the events that had recently befallen her.

Callie smiled to Chet and put her arms around him. She kissed him resoundingly. The Shaw's looked ahead with approval and smiled. Chet kissed her again.

"Goodnight angel. See ya tomorrow. Goodnight Mr. And Mrs. Shaw." he said waving casually. Iola smiled.

"Night Cal, night Mr. Shaw. Night, Mrs. Shaw. Will call tomorrow." Iola said as she and Chet departed. Callie hugged her mom and dad again and with a smile excused herself to her bedroom. She climbed the stairs to her bedroom. She flipped on the light. She smiled as the light reflected onto her diamond ring. She flipped on her CD player and sorted through her CD collection. She smiled and pulled out the Grateful Dead American Beauty disc and tossed it into the player. She advanced it to Ripple and hit the repeat button. She removed her clothes and flipped the light off and fell into bed. She smiled with contentment as she looked out at the stars with the gentle strumming music playing softly. She was soon asleep.

Chet and Iola slid into the Volvo. Iola turned the motor over and with a smile looked over to her brother.

"Relatively painless, bro. A ringing endorsement." Chet smiled beside himself.

"Ringing endorsement, yeah. I'd say so. The way Mr. Shaw dissed Frank on top of it I'd say they were happy. Pretty unlike Mr. Shaw to even make a semi condemnation like that." Iola shrugged then smiled.

"Perhaps he knew something of her and Frank more than us. He also knew they were pretty much quits and probably was hoping that she didn't go back to him out of some misguided thoughts." Chet nodded.

"Makes sense. I mean Frank is our good friend but it just would have been tragic to see that relationship stagnate. Besides, I think he will be happy with Tiffany. She is pretty high maintenance though." Iola giggled

"You think?" she giggled. "Those implants are definitely indicators of vanity and self indulgence." Chet smiled knowing this very well. Iola looked to her brother.

"Where do you want to go? Sleep at the farm, or your apartment?" Chet smiled.

"We can go to the townhouse if you want to avoid excess questions from Mom and Dad for the evening." Iola nodded.

"Might be easier for the evening. Mom gets into her inquisition mood and I get nervous." Chet laughed knowing that his mom was harder on Iola because she was a girl.

"Ok, sis. Let's go there." he said. Iola turned down a side street and headed for downtown where Chet had rented a townhouse. They pulled up before an older brick building. Iola parked and they got out. She and chet climbed the stoop and Chet turned a key in the lock. They went in and were greeted to a musty scent. Iola made face

"Chet, did you leave any windows cracked before you left?" Chet grinned sheepishly admitting he had forgot. Iola flipped n a light and looked about the floor disapprovingly. There were several articles of clothes thrown about.

"Well that is one reason you have a smelly apartment. Dirty laundry." Chet grinned defensively.

"Hey, the maid was off last week, what could I do?" Iola chuckled. She looked at Chet with an air of humor knowing that when he and Callie moved in together that he would be in for it if he kept up his decorating standards. She started picking up clothes. A moment later she made a face. She looked about and spied one of Chet's golf clubs. She grabbed it and used it to pick up an article from the floor. Chet grinned sheepishly as his sister held up a black satin bra. She looked it over at a distance. It had rather large cups. Iola raised an eyebrow,

"Tiffanys?" she asked. Chet nodded quietly. Iola laughed. "Looks like a double barrel slingshot for canon balls." she said tossing it into a pile of clothes. "You'd better make sure that such treasures are gone before Callie stops by." Chet nodded soberly.

"Yes, that's for sure. Though there really shouldn't be much else around. That was just hanging around from when Tiffany tried to seduce me by stripping on the kitchen table." Iola made a face.

"Ick, I hope you used Lysol before you ate your next meal." Chet laughed.

"I didn't say I did her on the table." He said. Iola looked up with that look she sometimes had indicating disdain.

"Still if she was grinding her intimate parts on your butcher block I'd be whipping out the bleach." Chet let out a hearty laugh. Then he yawned.

"Let's get some sleep, the laundry can keep till morning." he started to remove the throw pillows that were on his couch. Iola looked at him dubiously.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Chet shrugged.

"I'm pulling out the sofa bed." she said. Iola shook her head.

"You have a regular bed, Chet." Chet nodded.

"Yes, I know, but there is only one bed and two of us." Iola giggled in spite of this.

"Yes, but it's a full size bed. We can both fit." Chet looked a bit dubious.

"But, isn't that kind of weird?" he asked. Iola rolled her eyes.

"Chet, it's probably more weird when you banged Callie in the same room I was sleeping. It was a lot more weird when I was wiping your load off her face. So, with that in mind, I think since we are just sleeping, it will be ok." Chet shrugged then smiled.

"Yeah, guess your right." he said walking into the bedroom. He went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. A moment later he came out in boxers and a T-shirt. Iola stood there while her brother got into bed and covered up. Iola proceeded to remove her pants and crop top. Chet raised an eyebrow. Iola noticed.

"You didn't think I was going to stay in that tight outfit did you?" she asked walking by him. Chet gestured.

"Well, at least put one of my T-shirts on. That thong and skimpy bra don't leave a whole lot to the imagination." Iola rolled her eyes.

"God Chet, you act as if I jump into bed like this you are going to slam me down." Chet shrugged.

"It just makes me a bit uncomfortable, that's all." Iola grinned understanding.

"Ok, ok." she said walking over to the front of the room and flipping through her brother's drawer. She fished out an old Aerosmith concert T-shirt. She tossed it over. It seemed almost tent like since Chet was an extra large and Iola typically wore a ladies size four. She smiled.

"Is this cover enough?" she quipped flipping around. Chet gave the thumbs up sign and fell back. Iola grinned.

"Well, now that I have this tarp on me I can take this damn bra off." she said reached under the shirt and pulling the small black bra off. Chet rolled his eyes. Iola smiled to him knowing he was fairly uncomfortable, but she seldom had the ability to get the best of him. She smiled and tossed her bra at his head. Chet took a half smile to his face. A look of tolerance. He took the bra and tossed it to the floor. Iola got into bed. She sensed her brother was grumbling. She sidled up next to him.

"Are you ok, Chet?" she asked, "I really don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything." Chet cleared his throat.

"Is that why your pressing those guns into my back?" He quipped. Iola giggled and returned to her side of the bed.

"Ok, ok. I will be nice." she said with a smile. She fluffed her pillow and lay down quietly. They were soon asleep.

The next morning came fast. At seven sharp Iola was rummaging through Chet's ice box. She managed to find some non expired eggs and bacon. Soon she had the kitchen smelling with the delicious aroma of breakfast and coffee. Within moments Chet had waken up and followed the scent to the kitchen. He smiled to his sister who was still only wearing an oversized T-shirt and a thong.

"Always like waking up to a beautiful half dressed woman fixing me breakfast. Good morning, sis. How goes it?" he asked. Iola smiled.

"Not bad, considering I didn't get any last night." Chet looked amused at his sisters gibing.

"Don't look at me, that's Joe's department." Iola giggled.

"You take things so literally. Do you want some breakfast?" Chet nodded gratefully.

"Yes, indeed. Will be nice to eat in a chair on china for once." Iola laughed and served up a couple plates of bacon, eggs and coffee. They sat down.

"Well, Joe should be home later today. What ya gonna do first?" Chet asked.

"Probably depends if he's busy, but will show him the house for one. Another is get him to agree to a wedding date. I'm not gonna let that house stay empty because our parents have hangups." Chet gulped hard.

"Say, that's right, we will catch Hell if we aren't properly married before we move in together." Iola smiled.

"Nothing like having moral parents, huh?" she said. "Guess they don't want any illegitimate grandkids." Chet looked up.

"Sounds like your gonna be shooting for that from the start..." he speculated. Iola smiled as she took a bite of bacon.

"Let's just say I won't be popping any pills daily. And I will tell you one thing now Chet,,," she said, "Callie is Catholic and just plain refuses to take the pill. So if your not wanting little Chet junior crawling around by next Christmas, be careful." Chet smiled.

"Sounds fun, thanks for the warning." he smiled.

"Gonna get to the office and check if anyone has been calling for services of such and see how things are going." Chet said. Iola nodded

"Guess I will tag along until Joe gets back. It may be nice to show mom and dad the inside of the house." Chet nodded.

"We are gonna need a lot of stuff to fill that house, you know that." Iola nodded.

"That will be fun." Chet smiled.

"Shopping usually is. I would like to get some good period pieces in there though. I mean furniture wise. Give the place some glass. I mean sure we can buy some new also, but there are some places that simply require a vintage look." Iola nodded.

"Of course. There is a lot of work to do." Chet sat up.

"And I forgot one of the first places to start. The reason I got a hundred grand off was my broker speculated that there may be some repairs needed. Places like the roof had disclosures of possible repairs needed. So we need to have it inspected. Tony would be the obvious choice since he does that for a living." Iola nodded.

"Better call him to check on him anyway." she said. Chet nodded and picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hello, Mrs. Prito? Yes, this is Chet. Fine, thank you. What? Oh yes, thank you very much. Uh huh. Is Tony around this morning? Sure, I can hold." Chet smiled to his sister, "I'm already getting congratulations on my engagement." Iola grinned,

"Get used to it, bro." she said and started cleaning up the plates. A moment later Chet got connected to Tony.

"Hello Tony. How are you this morning? Is the shoulder alright? Good, glad to hear it. Was curious if you could stop by the office later if you had time. We want to show you the new house, but know it may need some work. And of course we thought of you. Why sure, that's fine. Ok. See ya later Tony." he said and hung up.

"He'll stop by the office later this morning." Iola nodded.

"Cool." Chet stood up after she washed the last of the dished.

"Well, we'd better get on out of here." he said. Iola looked at him with a long of disdain.

"Uhm, don't you think I need to do something first?" She asked with a laugh. Chet smiled. He had zoned the fact that Iola was still in the same lack of clothes she slept in. He gave a curt smile.

"Gee sis, I thought you were just going to wear that and show yourself off to everyone." Iola rolled her eyes still catching her brothers sarcastic humor from last night. She smiled,

"Oh, like this??" she said briefly pulling up the T-shirt to let her bare breasts jut out. Chet coughed and turned his back.

"Err, yeah. Something like that. I am gonna wait in the car, so you can dress a little more freely." he said with a red face as we walked out the door. Iola giggled as she went to get dressed. Ten minutes later she raced down the steps to find a disgruntle Chet in the car.

"Ready, bro?" Chet looked over to her. He knew his sister could be quite the smart ass but it was always is fun. He had made humor of her on many occasions. His face broke into a laughing smile.

"Well, reckon we'll get to the office and check things out." he said. He hit the gas and the car lurched into traffic. Iola looked over to him

"Easy Chet, I still owe on this car." Chet smiled.

"Well then, we will just have to do something about that." he said flatly. Iola's eyes widened.

"But Chet, I owe like twelve grand more on this car." Chet shrugged.

"No difference, get an exact payoff amount and let me know." He said. Iola leaned over and kissed him

"I think Callie is one lucky lady to be getting you." she smiled. Chet smiled and looked at his sister out of the corner of his eye.

"Thanks, Iola. That means a lot. I have been thinking about something. Tell me what you think." he said. Iola nodded.

"Ok," she said giving him her full attention.

"Well, I know Cal drives that beat up car around and was wondering what she might want to replace it. I mean since I wasn't able to actually buy her engagement ring I would at least like to replace her car with something nice." Iola smiled broadly.

"She has had that car since high school. I'm sure she'd like a new one. It probably holds a lot of bad memories to boot." Chet nodded.

"That has been one of my thoughts also. But you don't think she would think it too much more me to do that?" Chet asked concerned. Iola shook her head.

"Not at all. I mean I wouldn't get her a Rolls Royce with a driver or anything. But yes, she would be thrilled." She said. Chet smiled.

"Then I will do it. I don't like her driving around in that old car." Iola smiled. They drove on until they reached the brick building which held their business on the second floor. Chet parked and the pair got out. They climbed the steps where Chet inserted a key into the lock. He pushed away a small pile of what appeared to be junk mail and walked over to his desk. And took a seat. Iola looked through the mail.

"Nothing exciting here." she said casually, "I will check messages." Chet nodded and took out a phone book. He sorter though auto dealer pages. Finally he found the information he sought and took out a memo pad and wrote down an address. He then went to the coffee maker to start a batch. Iola came back in the office from the reception area.

"No messages that are any more exciting than the mail. Here, let me help you, your coffee sucks." she said with a smile. Chet grinned knowing this was true.

"Thanks." he started, "by the way can you run interference for me with Callie today while I take care of that transportation issue?" Iola smiled.

"I forgot, you have the ability to just go write a check for a car. Sure, I will take her to lunch. Or maybe she will take me to Lunch. We can meet some friends and she can wave that ring around and I can show off my diamonds too." Chet smiled.

"That should be fun, Iola. Thanks, I will probably wait for Tony to stop by and take him." Iola nodded.

"Cool." she said. "I will give her a ring and see if she wants to meet." she walked into the other room. She came back in five minutes later.

"I am going to go pick her up. She doesn't have her car." Chet smiled.

"Not yet she doesn't." he said with a smile. Iola smiled.

"Where do you want to meet later, the house?" Chet asked. Iola nodded.

"That will be fine. Ring my car phone when you want us over that way, though we may already be there." she said. Chet nodded.

"Sounds good. Now don't lead on I am doing this for her." Iola nodded.

"She will not know a thing. Later, bro." she said and walked out. Chet smiled at the idea of buying his wife to be a new car. She had gone most of her life without anything especially nice, in the material sense anyway. Not that Chet had any intent of flooding her life with material items to make up for other areas where he should be present. He did want to do some nice things for her however. And this was one of them.

Chet busied himself with attending to his office's neglected duties.

A little after nine Tony walked in.

"Hiya Chet!" Tony greeted. He seemed to look a lot better after some much needed rest. Chet stood up and smiled.

"Hey there Tony! Feeling better this morning?" Tony nodded affirmatively.

"Oh yeah! A good night sleep does wonders, plus the fact my parents didn't freak when they learned I had a brush in with a bullet. They made our family doctor see me an hour ago and he said all should heal up fine." Chet smiled.

"Very cool, dude. So you got some free time?" Tony nodded.

"Oh yes. Dad has taken the controls at the company to give me some recuperation time. So I am totally free. What's up?" he asked. Chet beamed.

"Well, I need you and your car for one.. Iola took her car to go get Callie and of course my ride is still in Pennsylvania, or making it's way here." Tony nodded.

"Sounds cool as long as you don't want to go bowling." he joked. Chet laughed.

"Nah, nothing so exciting, but was wanting to go get Callie a new car." Tony nodded.

"She needs one, that's for sure. Dealers are all open now. Should we get on it?" Chet nodded. He picked up his memo pad.

"Let's do it." he said and the pair left the office. They walked out to Tony's car and hopped in. Tony started the motor and turned to Chet.

"Where to, boss?" he asked. Chet looked down to the memo pad.

"Why don't you head down to Hawthorn and 35th." Tony nodded. He turned to Chet with a slight smile.

"That's where all the good dealers are, Chet. Is Callie getting something nice?" He asked with a laugh. Chet smiled.

"Let us see what we can find." he said. Tony turned the car onto the street and with a burst was on his way. After turning on Rucker he drove to the 35th Street intersection. He then turned left. Tony drove down 35th. The street gradually transformed from residential to commercial. Tony looked up and noticed the streets he was passing.

"We should hit Hawthorn in a few moments here, Chet. I think there's a dealer on every corner. Which one are we going to?" he asked. Chet gave a smile as they pulled up to the corner of Hawthorn. He pointed to a large sign that said: Bayport Jaguar. Tony raised his eyebrows.


	19. Chapter 19

"Wow, Chet. A Jag? You do that and you'll be in for some lovin'." he said. Chet smiled. Tony parked and they got out. The walked into the Jaguar lot. There were hundreds of beautiful cars. Chet and Tony were wide eyed with desire. Tony looked about somewhat overwhelmed.

"Any idea on the model, Chet? All of them look incredible." he said. Chet half shrugged,

"I am somewhat intrigued by the XJR series. Four door practicality, but still beautiful lines and that is a supercharged model." Tony nodded. He then spied a man coming at them from the corner of his eye.

"Look out Chet, vulture at 8 o'clock." Chet spied the man in a suit coming at them. Soon, a slightly balding man of about 45 was upon them.

"Hello there, Gerald Upton. Senior sales staff here at Bayport Jaguar. I certainly hope I can help you gentlemen." he said with an open gesture. Chet cleared his throat.

"Hello. Chet Morton, this is Tony Prito. We were interested in seeing your available XJRs." Mr. Upton beamed.

"But of course, please come this way." He ushered them halfway across the lot. He gestured to a line of 6 cars.

"The only bad thing about the XJRs," he started, "is that we only have six to choose from. They are the very high end and not many are in the market for them, so we subsequently don't stock dozens of them like say the X-type or S-type. But we have six here. One black, two green, two red and one silver. All the equipment is about the same, though the black one does have chrome wheels and was ordered with a custom audio system. That system adds seven thousand to the tag, but the customer who ordered it had his financing fall through. We can make a great deal on that one just to move it." Chet sauntered over to the black model. It was a sharp looking car with a high gloss coat on it and chrome premium wheels. The windows were slightly tinted. Chet peered through the window, the interior was also black. Chet looked at the window sticker. This car had every conceivable option and several Chet couldn't even imagine. Bottom line sticker price was $91,789.00. Chet glanced at Tony, who shook his head.

"That's over a hundred grand after the tax. You can do better than that." The salesman had apparently heard Tony's comment.

"Well, yes we can do better than that. That was just the suggested retail." Chet looked to the other XJRs and came back.

"Looks like this one has an extra twelve grand in gingerbread on it. The other models are stickering at around seventy nine. If I were going to offer something on the seventy nine thousand car it would be about seventy even. Which is what I will offer you for this black one." The man smiled.

"Well, there are a lot of extras on it that make up that extra twelve thousand. I can't really write those off..." Chet rolled his eyes.

"Look, Mr. Upton, the car sells itself by reputation, warranty, etc. So I will do this..." he said taking out a checkbook he wrote a check for $70,000 even to Bayport Jaguar. "You take my very good check in to your office and talk with your business manager or whatever the boss is called here. Tell them that is the only check I brought with me today. I can get another check, but if I am going to go all the way back home for another check, I will be on the other side of town. You know, the side where the BMW dealership is..." Mr. Upton held a hand up and smiled.

"Just give me a very quick moment, Mr. Morton, sir. I won't be long. Please come into the showroom and have a cup of coffee." he said rushing back towards the building. Tony chuckled to Chet as they walked towards the office.

"Pretty slick Chet. Now, if they just take the bait." he said. Chet smiled.

"These guys are all the same. If that really was a custom order then it is probably eating a hole in their pocket by just sitting in stock. It's an extra unit they didn't count on having to sit on. Not to mention if it truly was a custom order they already have at least five or ten grand of some schmuck's non refundable deposit on it." Tony nodded as he hadn't thought of that before.

Sure enough, as they entered the showroom Mr. Upton returned to them within seconds. He smiled.

"The manager realizes the situation of things and has chosen to accept your offer. Please have a seat at my desk so we may expedite the paperwork." Chet and Tony smiled. They were escorted to Mr. Upton's office and he went to work on the paperwork. He looked up.

"Alright, Mr. Morton, is this vehicle to be titled in your name?" Chet shook his head.

"My soon to be wife actually. Her name is Callie Shaw. And the address is three eleven Bayview Avenue..." Soon Mr. Upton had all the information he needed. He looked up.

"If I can't authenticate the check, I will have to retain the actual title until it clears." Chet nodded,

"Of course." he said. Mr. Upton rose.

"This should just take a moment. I will be right with you." he said and walked into another office. Chet smiled.

"Reckon it will get authenticated, Tony?" he asked with a chuckle. Tony smiled and nodded.

"I'd guess it's a safe assumption. He said. Chet slapped his forehead.

"It wasn't even necessary. I forgot I have a damn letter of credit good for a million in my pocket." Tony grinned and shook his head.

"My bank is pretty stingy with those. They usually want my dad to sign and me put up the real estate as collateral. All kinds of good stuff." Chet shook his head. A few minutes later Mr. Upton came back in.

"All is fine, Mr. Morton. You were authenticated and you may have your title now." he said sitting back down to finish the paperwork.

"I had the car brought around and of course made sure it was in tip top shape." Chet nodded.

"I appreciate it." Mr. Upton smiled.

"Not at all, now then, we are all set. Let's go look it over, shall we?" he motioned for them to follow him out to the area they had come from. Sure enough the black XJR was sitting there waiting. Mr. Upton took great length and effort to explain every option the car had. Chet and Tony waited patiently while this was being done. It was standard procedure for new car dealers to do this when they released a new car. After fifteen more minutes Mr. Upon concluded his demonstrations. He smiled and handed Chet two sets of keys. He shook his hand.

"Mr. Morton, it has been a pleasure. I hope your soon to be wife enjoys it very much." Chet smiled taking the keys.

"Oh, I am sure she will. Thank you very much. It has been a pleasure." Chet looked to Tony. Let's drive out to the house now. Follow me. It's at 311 Bayview Avenue. Tony nodded. Chet took a seat in the new Jaguar. He pulled out the key and turned the motor over. The high power motor roared with a throaty growl. Chet revved the motor and it screamed like a chained cat. Chet smiled with satisfaction and pulled the car out of the dealer lot. The car was quite receptive to the gas peddle. Chet, with Tony following made his way to an outer road that led to Bayview Avenue. He waited at a stop sign. Upon the light turning green Chet hit the gas. The car launched forward with a pure desire to please. He smiled looking in his rearview as Tony was having a problem keeping up. Chet slowed down. Soon he turned onto Bayview and went north. Ten minutes later he was pulling into the home where he would soon share residence with his wife Callie, sister Iola, and Joe. He pulled up before the garage. Tony pulled in beside him. Chet got out and looked at Tony as he emerged.

"Gee Chet, let a guy catch up to you! That thing cooks and I bet you weren't even pushing it." Chet smiled.

"That thing is a dream to drive, man!" I better open the garage and stash it." He said opening the door to one of the three bays. He then got back in to the car and backed in it. He jumped out and lowered the door. Tony smiled.

"She will love it, man!" He said looking about the place. He whistled.

"Wow, Chet, this is quite the pad. What is it? About four thousand square foot?" Chet shrugged.

"The listing says under four, but I think it's more. Especially if you include the basement. There's a lot of space here. C'mon, let's go in. I have a key." Tony nodded and followed Chet. Chet came up before the main door and started inserting keys until he found the right one. Tony gave a laugh,

"See all the trouble it is to have ten doors to the outside!" he joked. Chet smiled leading the way in. Tony took in the house with great interest.

"Damn!" he said commenting on the extensive wood trim and floors. "If you only gave three hundred for this place I am telling you now there is no way you could build it for five times that! The intricate woodwork is amazing. And it all appears to be oak and walnut. High dollar stuff pal." Chet smiled knowing his friend gave an obvious positive endorsement to his purchase.

"What about the roof? It had a real estate disclaimer." chet said. Tony smiled.

"They have to do that if it has even a tiny spot of wear that could indicate more, but often doesn't. It's just playing the safe side. I will be happy to look at it, but from what I saw before I came in it looked it decent shape. But of course I can't tell much till I am up there. It has some high grade wood shingling on part of it. I notice that the part that looks kind of like an addition or an overhang has a metal roof on it. That may be where any trouble exists." Chet smiled.

"Whatever it takes, man. You are the boss as far as any construction or repair concerns." he said knowing Tony was one of the finest restorers in the area as well as builders. Chet wondered into the kitchen. He picked up the wall phone. Sure enough it worked. Chet smiled.

"Mom and Dad must have had the service turned on. Good. Not that I know the number, but I can still call the ladies." He picked up the phone and dialed the number to Iola's car phone. A moment later he was connected to his sister.

"Hey, Iola. How goes the day? Anything exciting going on? Oh really. Are they green with envy? Hahah. Oh, your mean. Say, were ya coming around your new house anytime soon? Oh. Good. Tony and I are here checking things out. Yes. Oh, good. Sure, we will be here. An hour? Sure, that works. We will see you then." He hung up.

"About an hour and they will be over." Chet said. Tony smiled.

"What do we do for an hour, look over this castle?" Chet nodded.

"I haven't seen most of the house myself." he admitted. Tony laughed.

"You were just inspired to buy this house. Huh?" Chet grinned and held out his hand.

"Iola wanted it. She showed it to Callie and I before we even knew we'd get any money. She was pining over it something fierce. So when the money was bestowed on us it just seemed natural. Plus the hundred grand off helped." Tony laughed then shrugged.

"Can't blame ya. I mean she's your sister so that obviously impacts the situation, but if I had Iola as my other half I would certainly be compelled to build her a house that she wanted. She is just desirable, man. No offence. I wasn't trying to make her sound as improper or anything..." Chet gave a chuckle.

"Trust me Tony, she can be a little hellcat. She stayed over at my townhouse last night and I swear she was just trying to be a tease to me despite being her brother. Course I think she was just trying to push my buttons." Tony looked up.

"How was she trying to be a tease?" he asked. Chet cleared his throat.

"Well, she pushed herself into sleeping in my bed. Then she tries to wear just a thong and bra to bed. I made her put a shirt on." Tony rolled his eyes.

"Tough spot Chet. Have a nearly nude babe sleeping next to you and you can't do nothing cause she's your sister."

"Not to mention I'm engaged on top of that. Hehe.. Nah, Iola was just being a sister trying to get her brother in a snit. But it should be interesting when we all live here." Tony gave a chuckle.

"She can be mean to you for sure. Of course I wouldn't mind a little of that meanness." Chet shrugged with a laugh.

"Well, I doubt she'd do it to just any male. She knows that type of activity would get her in trouble. I'm her brother. She knows it's safe to prance around like that in front of me. She just wanted to give me a hard time." She does it in front of you or some other guy, that could send a real mixed signal." Tony nodded.

"Very true. Though some women are like that, your sister is not one of them. She is pretty conservative by most standards." Chet nodded agreement.

"Yep. I notice she didn't get a piercing, much less a tattoo like Callie. Though Callie of course is no less of moral resolve than Iola, I just think she was under Frank's thumb for too long." Tony nodded.

"Frank is a swell guy but I really think for the last year he didn't treat Callie the way she deserved to be treated." Chet sighed with a slight gesture.

"Comfortable old shoe, I guess was his fault in regard to Callie. A rut was hit and instead of trying to improve the relationship Frank ultimately chose to go shopping for a new model."

"So he got himself a new Tiffany" tony quipped. Chet smiled,

"But he'd better watch out, that Tiffany comes with overdone aftermarket bumpers that the owner prides her self on. To say nothing of the maintenance cost." Tony chuckled heartily.

"Heh heh,, quite the analogy there, Chet. You hit the nail on the head I am sure. Though, maintenance costs can be high here too though. That wasn't a tricycle you just bought." Chet pursed his lips with some perplexity for a moment then smiled.

"Well, there's a big difference I think. Tiffany, would have expected it. I mean if she knew I could afford it there would be undoubtedly a clear expectation for it, among other things I am sure. She is a sweet girl, but she is very material. That was one of the things that kind of bugged me about her. But Callie, she is driving the same car that she had when she was in high school. She will not expect this, and if she was expecting to hopefully get a new car I can promise you she would never have the vanity to want a Jaguar or other exotic car. Tiffany is already on her forth car. And what's scarey is that daddy ain't rich. Tiffany has had two brand new cars in as many years. He had to take a bath on one of them." Tony nodded soberly.

"Nothing like having a material girl daughter. You can bet he had to pay for those implants." Chet raised an eyebrow.

"You can also bet he didn't know he was. She manipulated a situation to get the cash no doubt. He seemed like a straight guy and most straight guys don't buy their very young daughters breast implants." Tony gave a chuckle in spite of the subject that was less than humorous.

"Poor guy." he said. Chet smiled.

"Ah, but soon our good friend Frank is going to find the dark side of Tiffany. And Frank is way too conservative to fall to Tiffany's sometimes insane extravagance."

"Think it will be doomed then?" Tony asked. Chet nodded.

"Yep. Frank has a brain. That's one strike against Tiffany already. Not that she doesn't have a brain, but Frank occasionally needs to have an adult conversation with his lady. I just think the ultimate lack of compatibility will do them in. Callie being one with a higher education was able to keep up with him. I mean Callie isn't a world traveled woman by any means by she does have some college under her belt as well as being through some FBI training that Mr. Hardy was able to arrange. That was no summer camp as I recall." Tony looked thoughtful.

"Oh, I remember that. We trained right with the other agents. In fact we were invited back to enter into the program full time, but of course we were there mainly to keep on top of criminal methods and making sure we were trained to at least be decent adversaries. I am not sure I'd want to go into federal law enforcement full time. But yes, Callie has a lot on Tiffany in those regards. Though it irritated me when we first brought them into the hollow how Frank whined that they were such a liability. I mean sure they aren't as trained as say you, Frank or Joe. But I'd hate to run into either of those ladies in a pissed off mood." Chet gave a chuckle at this.

"Indeed you are correct. Tiffany is scared to death of guns. Acts like they are gonna bite her. She was always wanting me to put my gun in the safe when she was around." Tony grinned.

"Well, she's Frank's baby now. And I hope he has fun." Chet nodded knowing this was true.

"I hope she doesn't come around. After all she isn't even up to speed on my awareness of her relationship with Frank, much less aware I am engaged to Callie and have assets." Tony gave a laugh at this,

"Wait till she finds out. I can see it now... Oh, Chet, I didn't really mean to do Frank. It was just impulse..." He said is a falsetto tone. Chest bust out.

"You never know, but if she has any delusions about us, she will be set straight on matters." Chet said firmly. Tony nodded.

"I have no doubts that you will correct matters to perfection, my friend. You seem to have issues well planted in your mind." Chet smiled firmly.

"Damn right. Tiffany will have to get over it if she thinks she is going to flip flop around." Chet seemed to have a firm stance on this subject. Tony grinned at his pal.

"Gee, your all in, Chet. Within a weeks time you recover millions in stolen jewels, get paid millions for the return, to boot get a great ring. And to beat everything else you have a beautiful and smart woman who is going to marry you. I can't think of a better week. Though I am curious if any of the parental figures have looked down at the plans considering how fast the actual romance occurred?" Chet shrugged and gave a plain smile.

"No one has made issue of it oddly. Mom and dad are cool with it. I think mom wants a grandchild pretty bad though and I am sure my dad sees it as a responsible act. Callie's parents were cool with it. Her dad I think would have had bigger issue if she had chosen to marry Frank. He basically said as much under his breath. I think they see overall that the two of us have been great friends for years and know those things that only knowing someone for such a long time can provide. After all, most good relationships start as persons being friends." Tony nodded.

"Sure enough. It's good no one is giving you trouble though." Chet shrugged.

"I think the timing of things just worked well. Perhaps they may have had reservations had the security the money will offer not been there, but with that and our obvious affections... I suppose they are just playing the game of where there's no trouble then don't start any to make it. After all, people tend to over analyze things to death these days. No wonder relationships get screwed up. We don't pay attention to instinct anymore, we go by a checklist that is jaded with a touch of cynicism and apprehension that things will invariably go wrong. Let's face it Tony, Oprah, in her quest to be a billionaire and household name, has caused enormous damage. If you live life according to Oprah, a relationship should last four minutes before you have to go see Dr. Phil to maintain and or correct it!" At this Tony nodded profusely.

"God, don't start on that guy. What a pain in the ass. I can't believe people watch him. And your right, those shows, and the millions who watch them are all suckered into the theory that if your relationship is floundering in the slightest you need to dissect it under a microscope and probe away. What a crock. And what is funny is that our grandparents and previous generations had marriages that lasted over fifty years in many cases. Now a days if you live life by modern standards that are supposed to be so much more improved, a marriage lasts under ten years in many cases." Chet nodded.

"No doubt about that..." They were interrupted by the sound of car doors slamming. Within moments Iola and Callie strolled in. Iola smiled significantly to her brother. Callie came in wearing a short denim skirt and light blue crop top. She wrapped her arms around chet and kissed him.

"I missed you sweetie." she purred with a smile. Chet smiled.

"The feeling was mutual. And my bed was pretty cold last night to boot." Iola rolled her eyes.

"Gee, bro. I thought you were turning pretty red last night." Iola scorned with a laugh. Chet coughed abruptly and smiled at his sister.

"Surprised you weren't cold, sis." he quipped back. Callie smiled at the good natured banter and looked to Tony.

"How are you feeling today, Tony? Shoulder ok?" she asked with concern. Tony nodded.

"Yep, feeling good. Though I was forced to take a little time off of managing the company. Per doctors and mother's orders." he smiled. Callie smiled.

"Well, one could hardly argue with that combination. So did Chet bring you out to look the house over?" Tony smiled.

"Yeah, Chet wanted me to look the place over. You all got a great deal in my opinion. There is enough oak and walnut in this house. The workmanship is high rate. Superb overall." Tony said admiringly. Callie looked about.

"Yes, I love the paneling and the wood floors. They are just great. I can't wait until we start decorating."

"A nursery perhaps?" Iola said with a perk. Callie sighed.

"I wouldn't be opposed to such a thing... but I suppose we had better be married first, don't you think, darling?" Chet looked up with a smile.

"Of course. I guess we need to talk about that little subject." he said smiling. Callie cleared her throat and brightened her eyes.

"Yeah, guess we better." she said with a feeling of happiness. She had hoped the engagement wouldn't be a long one and perhaps it seemed, Chet felt the same way.

"Shall we take a drive and talk about it?" Chet said slyly. Callie nodded.

"Alright. Iola, I am thinking you can show Tony about and look the house over structurally?" Iola nodded. Callie smiled

"Cool. Uhm, I guess we will have to use your car though." Chet cleared his throat.

"That won't be necessary Cal, I brought your car here. It's in the garage." Callie looked up in surprise.

"Well that was nice of you, hun." Chet smiled modestly. "Wasn't anything, just an obvious notion. Oh, but I left the keys in the car. And it's in the left bay, sweetness. Go pull it out while I make a phone call." he said. Callie smiled.

"Ok, sweetie." she said walking out the door. Chet smiled to his sister and Tony and started counting down.

"Ten,,, nine,, eight,, seven,, six,,, five,, four,, three,, two..." Chet never got to one as a huge scream was heard from the general area of the garage. Iola looked at her brother.

"Did you give her a heart attack??" she asked with a smile. "I swear if there's a chauffeur and a gold Rolls Royce out there I will not be happy." She said as she and the others rushed out to see Callie standing in front of the open garage door holding her trembling hands together in front of her face. Iola rushed ahead of Chet and Tony, curiosity obviously getting the best of her. She too let out a scream. Callie turned to Chet.

"Oh my God.. Oh my God! Chet. Is that the car your brought for me?? I mean is it really for me???" she asked in tears. Looking back at the car still shaking. Chet smiled and nodded.

"Well, I didn't want you to drive that old car anymore..." Iola looked at Chet with wide eyes.

"Chet, that is a Jaguar. A very beautiful Jaguar." She turned to Callie and smiled.

"You lucky girl." she said. Callie edged closer to it. She looked at the side window sticker. She screamed again.

"Chet, sweetie, you didn't have to buy me a $92,000 car! Really you didn't." Iola looked to him stunned,.

"$92,000?!?!? Chet, are you nuts?" Tony stepped up with a smile.

"Now, in Chet's defense I must point out that he talked the guy down to a mere seventy thousand. Now that isn't bad." Callie looked beside herself. She began to get teary eyed again.

"I don't deserve this, hun." she started, "I haven't done anything to deserve it. Why are you so good to me?" She wondered aloud. Chet smiled and looked into her eyes.

"Because you make me happy. And I love you more than anything. Your happiness is all I want." He took her in his arms. Iola smiled to them, then looked at the car, smiling.

"What are the chances I can get Joe to buy me one?" she asked allowed. Tony grinned.

"Just flutter those sweet little eyes in front of him, purse those lips... how could he resist?" Iola smiled to him.

"Well, Tony, if Joe and I ever break up I will come calling." she said with a wink. Tony rolled his eyes with a grin.

Chet smiled to Callie and opened the car door for her. She took a deep breath and slipped in the driver's seat. Chet closed the door and walked to the passenger side door.

"See ya guys later." he smiled and got in. Callie looked over to him and shook her head and smiled.

"This is too cool, Chet. I am going to be so spoiled." she said turning the key. The motor growled into life. Callie perked with a squeal.

"Wow." she smiled.

"Little more kick than the Buick, huh?" Callie nodded with a smile.

"Oh yeah! Oh my!!" she said barely touching the gas and launching forward. Chet placed a hand on her knee.

"Easy baby. This car can easily do over two hundred miles per hour, so you can imagine it doesn't take much to get it launched." Callie nodded in amazement.

"Will take some getting used to, but I think I will manage." She smiled to him again and leaned over and kissed him.

"Thanks you baby. Just wait till later and I will show you how much." Chet raised an eyebrow,

"Well, that certainly inspires one to do nice things for you." Callie smiled and sighed.

"Just being here together with you is enough. You really don't have to buy me nice things. I have been given so much already." Chet smiled.

"Well, I know, but you really needed a car. I assure you that I have no intention of spending a hundred grand on you a day. I just wanted to make you feel special. It means everything that you are happy." Callie again shed tears. They headed south through town and drove over to the office downtown. Callie smiled.

"Nice and quiet here, huh?" Chet nodded. They got out and walked upstairs. They entered the agency office. Chet took a seat at his desk. Callie walked over and sat next to him. She held out her hand. He took it. Smiling calmly.

"So, Cal, do you want to be married anytime soon?" he said with a gleam in his eye. Callie looked to him, then down at the ring.

"All I ever wanted in life was to be happy. Have a husband who treated me nice and with respect. And a child. I mean who wouldn't want that. I thought some time back I had that possibility with Frank. But things change. I didn't intend for it to change. But he changed. Who knows, maybe I even did. Who can say with any accuracy. It just wasn't meant to be. But with you. We have also known each other for a long time. In a way I feel I almost know you better because I have seen the real you all along. It feel so natural. So very right. So yes, I want to marry you as soon as possible." She said softly. He looked into her soft blue eyes. They embraced kissing passionately. He kissed her neck softly. Callie moaned louder and made her way onto Chet's desk. Chet took a deep breath while Callie, a mischievous look in her eye as she put a leg on either of his chair arms. He sat back in the chair.

"Ahem, gee Cal, what's on your mind?" he said. She smiled wickedly. She reached down and hiked up her skirt. She looked down at him.

"Do you need more direction sweets?" she said smiling. Chet smiled and raised his eyebrows. Apparently not.


	20. Chapter 20

"Oh God, yes baby!! That feel so...mmmm." her voice purred into a rytheme of soft moans and a deep smile. Chet had Callie all the way on his desk. Files and pens flew over the edge with the pounding and flailing. Fifteen minutes had passed without stopping, Callie was squirming near the edge.

"Mmm, yeah, oh, I'm so close. Please, don't stop!" she screamed.

Minutes later Callie lay on the desk. A smile glazed on her face. She took a breath. She slowly sat up. Chet took a seat back in the chair while callie edged over and sat in his lap. Her skirt just slightly pulled down. And Chet's pants still open. She looked down with a smile.

"My, my. So impulsive." she said with a broad smile. Chet reached over to the small icebox beside his desk and pulled out a bottle of water. He pulled the lid off and offered it to her.

"Drink, angel?" he offered. Callie nodded thankfully taking the bottle. She took a deep drink. Chet admired the profile of her neck as sweat trickled down it. Something seemed so very sexy about it. Callie offered the water back to Chet who took a drink.

"Thank you Angel, but what do you mean impulsive?" He asked. Callie smiled.

"No protection that time and if you didn't notice, you didn't exactly pull out either." Chet took a breath and shrugged.

"That wouldn't be very Catholic of me, would it?" Callie smiled and turned her head slightly.

"Guess it wouldn't be." she said. Chet started nuzzling on her neck again. C

"Mmmm, do your batteries recharge that quickly" she said gigging. Chet coughed,

"Well, not that quickly, but give me a few minutes and I'm sure I..." he was cut off by the door to the office opening. Frank and Joe walked in. They stopped short upon seeing Chet with Callie in his lap. To say nothing of the fact Callie's skirt was hiked and Chet had his pants unbuttoned and unzipped. The glow of Callie and the sweat trickling off her gave it away to anyone, much less a detective that Chet had indeed just used his desk for something more than writing.

"Er, excuse us guys." Joe started. "We didn't see anyone's car here so we figured the place was empty and wanted to check up on things." he finished quietly. Frank took on a perplexed look but managed a smile.

"Hey Chet, sorry, if we disturbed anything, were you giving the term 'desk jockey' a new meaning?" Joe shot his brother a look.

"Subtle, Frank." he murmured. Clearly embarrassed by his brother's statement.. Callie took a dark look and stood up and pulled her skirt down. Chet stood up and zipped up. Callie shot Frank a look.

"Sorry, Cal, Chet. I wasn't thinking." he muttered. Callie bore down on him.

"No, Frank, you weren't thinking. But yes, as you observed, I just finished screwing Chet's brains out on this desk. That doesn't make me loose or a slut in any way and it doesn't make Chet a bad person either. We seized a moment and enjoyed it. Just because you and I never did it outside of a bedroom doesn't mean those who do are bizarre or without morals." She was almost flustered to tears but her apparent anger kept her from that. Joe looked at his brother.

"Nice going, man." Frank looked critically at his brother.

"Excuse the hell out of me. Pardon me, I have some work I need to catch up on while I am here." he said and walked into the other office. Joe looked sheepishly at the two.

"Sorry guys." he said, "not sure what's bothering him, but I reckon he'll get over it" Chet smiled.

"Not your fault Joe. Say, we were about to head back to the new house. Want to come?" he asked. Joe rubbed his chin for a moment.

"Iola is there." Callie added. Joe brightened up.

"You talked me into it." he said. He walked into the other room and came back a moment later.

"Yeah, lets go. He's in a fun mood." Callie smiled in spite of the situation..

"You need a break too, Joe. C'mon." she invited. Joe smiled and walked out with the pair.

"I hope I didn't embarrass you guys by coming in,," Joe started. Chet shook his head.

"Well, honestly Joe, maybe ten minutes earlier would have not been great timing. But all is reasonably well." Joe gave a chuckle.

"Don't worry, by the way, Iola and I almost got caught doing the same thing, but by dad." Chet raised an eyebrow.

"Whoa, almost caught by the boss." Joe chuckled remembering.

"Yeah, but we had a little more time after to make things look normal. But Iola had accidentally left her bra on the desk. Dad saw that and said something to the general effect of not being overly personal with the girl Friday during business hours." Chet and Callie both laughed at this thought.

When they walked out of the building, Joe was a bit stunned to see callie hit the remote entry on a new jaguar XJR. He looked at Chet questioningly. Chet smiled

"An early wedding present." he said. "Not to mention that Buick was on it's last leg." Joe gave a smile and shook his head..

"You live a privileged life Chet." he said getting in. Callie turned the motor over and the car roared to life. Joe felt immediately prompted to buckle his seat belt, and did so. Chet looked over his shoulder.

"What's wrong Joe, the idea of a lady in charge of nearly four hundred horsepower and just as much torque scare you?" he needled. Joe smiled.

"Nah, just like to be safe, but this is probably the most powerful car I have ever even sat in." Callie giggled.

"I promise to get you to Iola safe, Joe." she said with a laugh. Chet looked back to Joe.

"Did you wrap things up in the hollow ok?" Joe nodded.

"Yep, all but the missing cash. Dad finally accessed those discs on the computer this morning and it had all of Sharpton's financial dealings on them. From what we could gather he should have amassed over three hundred million dollars. We were able to account for just over two hundred million which was siting in Suisse bank accounts. The rest dad suspects is in cash hidden somewhere. He got pinched before he could transfer that and join his international criminals in Geneva most likely." Chet gave a low whistle.

"A hundred million in cash. That's not a light load, Joe. Where does your dad suspect it is?" Joe held out a hand.

"That's the million dollar question, but he suspects it is hidden in the hollow yet. Records indicate that he fenced some pretty high end merchandise and he probably did it in the New York and Pennsylvania areas, which would suggest that he stashed it in the hollow because that was a much less risky place that say one of his known areas in the city. The hollow is big and dark. You could hunt in it for months if not years and not find it." Chet shrugged.

"Well, it isn't bad though nailing two thirds of the funds. That plus the main guy is in a cell. Do you really thing that they will waste a ton of money and man hours hunting the last third down? I mean most all of the goods stolen were likely insured. These people robbed from businesses, bot private parties." Joe nodded.

"I'm sure the police will keep their search up for awhile to come but it will eventually die down in the interest of other things that need to be addressed. You can't have all of your men scouring a huge dark patch of woods looking for a third of the money. And like you said since most if not all parties were insured there will not be a ton of effort put forth. Even the insurance companies wont get too involved since it is likely divided among several companies, no one of them is going to deem the loss worth while to spend a ton more hunting for what may or may not be in the area he was apprehended." Chet shrugged.

"Then it's basically a treasure hunt? I mean to those who get word." Joe smiled.

"I'm sure there will be a few enterprising folks out to hunt for it. Though technically the feds can lay claim to any funds connected with the crimes, but don't expect the money to go back to those who suffered the loss. If insurance paid off then that is that and the feds are not widely known for sharing with insurance companies. They both feel the other has enough money. That two hundred million that was traced down. Im sure the insurance company will get in line for it since it was discovered at the time of the crime in the evidence collected. But if someone private digs up cash in a cave or field it generally disappears anyway." Callie shook her head in amazement.

"But surely a hundred million has to be pretty ample in size. Even in large denominations. I can't understand it. How can you hide that?" Chet chuckled.

"The criminal mind is a devious thing Angel. Where there's a will there's a way." Joe nodded.

"Pretty much." he said. A few minutes later Callie pulled into 311 Bayview Avenue. Joe smiled at the sight if the home he thought he'd never be able to afford. He looked at Chet and Callie a bit sheepishly.

"You know guys, I really want to thank you for what you did. I don't even care who actually owns the house. The main thing is the Iola is happy and that means a lot." Chet and Callie smiled to him.

"No problem, Joe. Iola means a lot. You are a dear friend. It's a great house. And I think we can all live together fairly well". Chet said. Callie nodded.

"Without a doubt, Joe." she said as they walked to the door. Joe looked in awe at the stately home he would soon live.

"This is wonderful. I am sure we are all going to have many years of fun here." He opened the door and continued his wide eyed tour. Upon entering the kitchen he found Iola on the phone. She looked over and smiled broadly to him.

"Yes, so That's where we are. Sure, anytime. Look, I have to go for a bit, but we may see you later. Sounds good! Bye-bye." She hung the phone up and raced into Joe's arms. They kissed as Chet, Callie and Tony looked about with half grins.

"Well, hello handsome." Iola said to her man. Joe grinned as he had been in need of that kiss for some time. Tony Coughed abruptly.

"Welcome home, Joe. Did you guys wrap up things in the hollow?" Joe nodded.

"Just about. But as I was telling Chet and Callie, there is still around a hundred million dollars that is unaccounted for." Iola's eye's widened.

"One hundred million?? Wow. Any clue to where it is?" Joe gave a slight shrug.

"Dad is still checking out the discs and running down leads, but so far he thinks it's stashed in the hollow. But no one is sure yet." Iola shook her head.

"A whole lot of money to have laying around." She said. Tony nodded.

"Should be interesting to see where it pops up, if at all."

Chet brought out some champagne which had found it's way into one of the ice boxes. The group sat back on the deck which still had ample lawn furniture that had remained with the home when it sold.

"This is the life guys." Tony said admiringly at the group. "You have a sweet house. A hell of a view and the idea of starting out married life in such a place sounds pretty good." Chet smiled.

"It was certainly a blessing to come our way. Though the house is just a bonus. I couldn't have bought anything that was as meaningful as my relationship with Callie. You can't put a value on that." Callie smiled to him.

"Couldn't have said anything better. I feel so good I can't explain." She said. The group sat out on the deck for awhile. Soon they saw a car drive up. They recognized it as Frank's. Callie took a breath.

"God, I hope he has mellowed from earlier." she said with a slight frown. Chet took another drink.

"Hopefully, my dear." he said. Frank got out and walked up to the deck. He looked at the house in awe and smiled to the group.

"Wow. Quite a house you have here. Very nice!" he said quietly. Chet sensed Frank was here in peace and smiled.

"Thanks Frank. How about a nice glass of champagne?" he said offering a glass up. Frank smiled and walked over.

"Thanks." he said taking it. He took a drink and smiled.

"Good stuff, Chet. Has dad been here yet?" Chet and the others looked up.

"I thought he was working on finishing up the case. Is he supposed to come over here?" joe asked. Frank nodded.

"Yes, he called the office earlier and asked where everyone was. I said they were likely here and he told me to get over here as he had some news." Joe looked perplexed.

"First I have heard of it. Guess we will know shortly." he said taking another drink. Frank looked about sheepishly. He then looked down to Chet and Callie.

"Guys, I'd just like to apologize for basically being a bit of a prick. I guess overall I take a bit more time to adjust than I gave myself. But I have thought a lot and want to say I am very sorry for having been that way to you. I very much respect you both. You are my friends and I hope you still think of me that way." Callie took a drink. She then took a deep breath and smiled. She had perhaps been selfish and even outright insensitive to Frank. Despite the turbulent last year they did have a history and for her to think Frank could get over it so easily may have been a poor assumption. She looked up.

"It will be ok Frank. We are all friends. This is a very new thing and I sometimes forgot that you may have ben hurt by it. I sense maybe I have had more prep time to get over it. But I am not without thought of you and your feelings. I am open minded and willing to work through it as best as possible." she said. Though she knew it may be harder than it would be. Chet smiled.

"Frank, we all go back a long way. We are adults and can sense things about each other perhaps more than the average stranger to be sure. It's all good as long as we have respect." Frank nodded.

"I appreciate it. It could have been easy for you to just shut me out and be done with it. I will do my best." he said. The silence that followed was soon interrupted by another car entering the drive. The group looked over and sure enough the car of Fenton Hardy appeared. Fenton Hardy as well as Detective Kelly got out. Joe waved from the deck and signaled to his father who walked in their direction with his associate on his heels. Fenton Hardy looked over the house and the grounds. He then looked out on the vast view of the water from the top of the cliff. He smiled.

"Nice place you have hear. Not a bad first house, son." he smiled to Joe, then to the others, "a very nice place." Detective Kelly smiled and looked about.

"That's fer sure boys. I could retire here." he drawled. Joe stood up and offered the two a seat.

"Please, have a seat." he said, "Frank told us you needed to see us. What's up?" he asked returning to his seat. The others also looked questioningly at the two elder detectives. Mr. Hardy cleared his throat.

"Well, as you know, I have been trying to nail down the last of the monies that Sharpton managed to hide away. I had initially figured the cache to be in the hollow somewhere but I am not quite sure that is the case." he said. The others looked keenly to him, obviously on the edge of their seat to know what Mr. Hardy had found out.

"Well, I tracked Sharpton's activities to his last few days before being arrested. I discovered with help of one of his right hand men, that he made a trip out west via jet. It seems that Sharpton had a hideout of sorts in the Rocky Mountains. It is just possible that he took that load of cash out there and stashed it in the mountains near his place. The authorities have blanketed that hollow with hundreds of men in the last twenty four hours. The last report I got about half an hour ago was that there was nothing found. That combined with one of the men we arrested indirectly stated that it would not surprise him that the money would be in a completely other place, not the hollow. We have verification that he took the jet to airfield west of Denver. This offers strong odds that the money may be out there." Frank smiled.

"Well, that's pretty interesting. Guess the guys who find it will be lucky. But I am presuming the insurance companies will be all over the place to try to recover monies that they paid out." Fenton Hardy smiled.

"Well, it is amazing the speed in which insurance companies work. Since many of the stolen items were taken from the same place there are only three insurance companies that have the vast bulk of liability, thus interest. Furthermore, these companies have been attempting to seize what Sharpton had secured in Switzerland. However they are having some problems. Suisse banks are none too friendly to release funds to just anyone, even if the accounts were held by criminals. It could be months if not years before they can get those funds. Sharpton had enough wits to secure some very costly Suisse attorneys to look out for those funds. They could tie matters up nicely."

"So,,," Chet started, "the insurance companies are more anxious than ever to get a hold of what funds that could still be in this country." Fenton Hardy smiled.

"Precisely. Furthermore, they have heard of your exploits as far as recovering the Tiffany jewels. They contacted me about their problem and interests. I had to straighten them out that I didn't recover the jewels. But ultimately the three companies have decided to make us an offer."

"Make US an offer??" Joe asked curiously. "Why us?" Fenton Hardy again smiled.

"They want the matter taken care of as quickly as possible and as discreetly as possible. Therefore they determined that the people who were familiar with the case and were able to already recover some assets and have proven to be honest by turning them over to the insurance company were those that they desired to find this missing cash." Chet looked up with a raised eyebrow.

"What your saying is that they want us to find this cache of a hundred million dollars for them??" Mr. Hardy nodded.

"One hundred and ten million give or take. And Yes, they do. They figure that if they have several groups hired to try to recover the money that there may be some loss of funds in the long run. Next to no one knows about the Rocky Mountain lead and they insurance companies want us to investigate the lead exclusively. So far as most everyone who even knows about the money thinks its definitely in the hollow. But the stronger lead of it being in Colorado is secret." Frank sat down and took a breath.

"Wow. That is quite the responsibility." Mr. Hardy smiled.

"Well, there is a matter of the reward." Tony looked up,

"Reward??" he asked blankly. Mr. Hardy nodded.

"If all the money is recovered, the reward would be over ten million dollars."

"Ten million dollars!" Iola said blankly.

"I can't make any of you do this," Mr. Hardy started, "there are dangers. Sharpton has a few members of the gand that are still at large who know that there is a possibility he stashed monies somewhere. Obviously if any have wind of this, well, let's just say that a hundred million dollars makes a whole lot of people motivated to do things. But anyone who works this job and there is a recovery will get an equal share. Also, Chet and Callie," he said addressing the two, "I do know these insurance companies are very interested in having the two of you on the case for sure. That obviously goes with the notoriety of being associated with the jewel recovery." Chet took a deep breath and looked at Callie.

"Well, we don't need the money, Angel. But would hate to let anyone down. I'd imagine the insurance companies would be grateful too, but I will do what you would like." he said. Callie smiled to him then looked at the others.

"Well, he is right, we don't need the money, but will certainly go along and help out if we can. Obviously those insurance companies didn't know we just happened on those jewels. Anyone could have done that." Mr. Hardy smiled.

"The price of fame I suppose. But it's good of you to throw your hat in the ring. How about the rest of you? I personally have to do a short job for the government which will take a week or so. So I wont be able to immediately hop on this. Kelly has already signed on and will act in my place during my time away. So, how do the rest of you feel about this?" Frank, Joe, Iola and Tony gave shrugs and smiles.

"I'm in." said Tony, "even part of that reward would be mighty nice to have for the future." Frank gestured.

"I'm in too, can't help but find it an inviting idea. What say, Joe?" he asked of his brother. Joe gave a smile and looked to Iola.

"How about it, Sweetness?" he asked her. Iola nodded.

"Yes, I will be happy to try." Mr. Hardy smiled.

"Very good, please pass the offer along to Bill as well. And we can keep our unit tight and above all secrecy is important, although I will have a few more trusted operatives in on this as well just to watch our backs. And Frank," he started to address his son, "I normally am one to stick to procedure and all, but since this classifies as fairly low to moderate risk, may I suggest you see if your new friend wants to tag along with you?" Frank raised an eyebrow. He suspected that his father desired to cut off his son's obvious short fuse and inability to deal with his friends, namely Callie and Chet and their new disposition. Frank pursed his lips, then half shrugged.

"I will put it to her." he said. Mr. Hardy nodded.

"That's fine, son, though I do want to state from the start that she is your responsibility primarily and also since she has no training of any kind that I am aware of I am afraid she can only be considered a guest and is not to be considered a member of the recovery team. If we do end up recovering these monies I am afraid it wouldn't be fair to split the reward with just anyone who is tagging along for the ride. Fair enough?" Frank nodded.

"Sure, dad. So when were they wanting us to start this hunt??" he asked. Mr. Hardy looked sternly to them.

"The sooner the better boys. As in tomorrow would be optimal. Here's my idea. Frank, if Tiffany can join you may I suggest that you and she take Chet's SUV loaded with supplies and head out by road. I have to leave later tonight on my other job as well, I also think it wise if Joe, Chet, Kelly and the ladies head out by means of my jet in the morning. The only thing being is that Jack Wayne is in Hawaii with his family and that means Joe would have to do the flying. Does this sound ok?" Frank nodded.

"I'm cool with trucking the supplies out." he said happy with the idea he could get in some time with Tiffany and perhaps become better adjusted for the mission.

Joe nodded with a smile.

"I'm fine with flying out in the jet. The rest of you cool with it?" Chet shrugged.

"I'm fine with it Joe. You're a good pilot and a private jet always beats crowded into a coach jetliner for a long trip. Tony nodded.

"Sounds fine to me. I will give Bill a ring and see if he can come." he stood up and walked into the house. Kelly stood up and smiled.

"Sounds like a plan, boss." he said pulling out a cigar and lighting it. Chet smiled.

"Well, the least we can do for tonight is get everyone together here and have a little send off." Mr. Hardy smiled.

"Wise idea Chet. I can have Mrs. Hardy and Gertrude bring some food out and act as your caterers." Chet beamed.

"No better food can I think of. Thanks, Mr. H!" he said getting up. He looked down to Callie.

"Why not have your mom and dad stop by too?" Callie nodded with a smile.

"Probably will help soften the blow that I have to hit the road again." She stood up and headed for the house to make the call. Iola got up.

"I will call mom and dad on the car phone." she said to Chet as she headed for the car. Mr. Hardy himself took out a cell phone and dialed. Joe looked over to Chet.

"Gonna have a little entertaining it seems. We will need to get into this host routine quick." he smiled. Chet nodded

"Say, I noticed in the guest house there appears to be furniture. What say we move some of it into the main house so folks can sit and eat and relax." Joe smiled.

"Cool, let's do it!" he said and the pair took to the task. In a very short time they had moved a pair of sofas, several chairs and two large dining tables. Mr. Hardy came up to them with a smile.

"Your mother and aunt will be here shortly armed with food and things to prepare a meal." Joe smiled.

"Great. Sounds wonderful!" Within an hour Mr. And Mrs. Morton had showed up, followed closely by Mrs. Hardy and Gertrude Hardy, who promptly looked the house over.

"Going to play football in the dining room?" she asked her nephew tartly upon seeing the large hall of a room. Joe grinned.

"Nope, just tennis, aunty." he quipped. Gertrude Hardy looked down at him over her spectacles.

"There's more groceries in the car, young man." she said steaming a path into the kitchen. She found Mrs. Morton already in the act of scrubbing one of the ranges down. She looked up and smiled.

"Good afternoon Gertrude. Quite a place here they have, isn't it?" Gertrude nodded.

"Very large. I hope I don't have to clean it." Mrs. Morton smiled.

"With the money Chet got I would hope he'd have enough sense to at least hire someone part time to supplement the large workload that will be demanding here. Of course I think they can handle it for day to day cleaning. But someone once a week wouldn't hurt." Gertrude nodded.

"It would take an average person a day alone just to clean the kitchen" just then Mrs. Hardy walked in with a load of groceries closely followed by Joe who had quite the armful himself. Mrs. Hardy took in the vast kitchen.

"My word, Joe! You could start a restaurant." her mother observed. Joe smiled.

"It is a large home. That's for sure. But, well, it's going to have two couples living here and it's paid for. So I can't be too unhappy." Mrs. Hardy nodded.

"Your father told us about Chet and Callie getting the money. It was quite lucky. No it seems there isn't anything keeping you from getting married." Mrs. Morton smiled at this statement.

"Yes indeed, Joseph. This house is just screaming out for some children." A moment later Mr. And Mrs. Shaw walked in. Totally stunned by the size of the house.

"Hello everyone!" Mr. Shaw greeted. Mrs. Shaw promptly went over to assist the other ladies with their kitchen duties.

"Hello ladies, looks like we got pulled into the kitchen, but my! What a kitchen." she said admiring the expansive layout that bordered that of any good restaurant. Joe smiled.

"It's very nice of all of you ladies to be preparing this meal. Will make our sendoff all that much easier." Aunt Gertrude looked up with a stunned expression.

"Sendoff!!" She echoed. "You mean that you all are going to be leaving again? But I thought you just got back!" Joe nodded slowly. Fenton Hardy was just entering the kitchen and had overheard his sister's statement.

"It's ok, Joe. I will help you out on the explanation." he smiled. Joe smiled gratefully.

Meanwhile, outside, Tony and Chet were walking around the grounds examining the structure of the home.

"Place looks solid, Chet. I don't see any real water damage from the ground and when I walked through the upper floor earlier I saw no ceiling damage." Chet nodded.

"Very good. When we get back we will go over it with a fine tooth comb." Tony nodded. He seemed lost in thought.

"What do you think the chance is we will recover the cash?" he asked. Chet smiled.

"Well, if Mr. Hardy's intelligence is accurate then we will have a good shot, but that is a big place. Stashing something up in the mountains could be an easy hide." Tony nodded then chuckled.

"Say, Mr. Hardy was pretty cute with telling Frank to bring his woman along. You think he saw some bumpy roads ahead if Frank didn't have a release?" Chet smiled and nodded.

"That's why Mr. Hardy is famous. Always knows the best course of action, in all matters..." he was cut short by the sight of Callie walking towards him. She looked somewhat agitated.

"Wonder what's up?" tony whispered noticing Callie was not her usually casual self. Chet took a breath as she approached. Callie walked up to the pair with a frown.

"What's up, Cal, you look like you just had you cat run over." Callie looked a bit pissed.

"I don't know. Well, maybe I do. Apparently Frank invited that silicone slut over. I was never overly fond of her, but it seems now I am really sensitive to her presence." Chet held her close.

"Is it because she is with Frank, or because she was more or less my old girlfriend?" Callie gave a slight grin.

"Well, Frank can have her with my blessing. I don't like that she was attracted to you and there may have been something of sorts. But I also never liked her attitude of things. Overly material and those damn implanted headlights makes her think she's just a goddess." Chet smiled to her.

"Now, now, Angel, you are the only goddess in these parts." Tony nodded and grinned.

"Besides, if you really want to get under her skin, all you need to do is wave the house, that ring and that car you just got under her nose and I am sure she will crawl back into her hole." Callie nodded then smiled.

"Well, true enough. Ok guys, you have to come with me or I might do something rash." Chet and Tony smiled and walked back with her. They walked back to the deck where they found Kelly sitting back with Frank who had a striking young blonde next to him. Chet, Callie and Tony took seats.

"Hi Tiffany." Tony said, "how goes it? Been awhile." The girl looked up with a smile.

"Hey Tony. Doing good." she looked over to Chet and Callie

"Hi Chet." she said with a sweet smile. She looked to Callie with less enthusiasm, "Hey Callie. Wow. I understand you and Chet are now dating? Pretty amazing." Callie pursed her lips with restraint.

"Is that what you were told, Tiffany? That Chet and I are dating?" She asked. Tiffany nodded.

"Well, yeah. I've only been here for five minutes and Frank and I haven't really exchanged much since the last time we were together before you guys apparently left on a case." Callie rolled her eyes slightly, more agitated that Frank hadn't mentioned that she and Chet were actually engaged. Chet sat up and leaned over.

"Well, Tiff, truth be told that Callie and I are engaged and will be married soon.." Tiffany looked visibly startled.

"Wow, hadn't heard that Chet. Frank just told me that the two of you were dating and had returned some lost jewels or something and gotten a reward and bought this house. But nothing really more than that." Frank interrupted.

"I was being conservative with my info guys cause I wasn't sure how much you wanted anyone to know." he told Callie and Chet. Chet looked somewhat irritated.

"Not exactly a secret Frank." he said then addressed Tiffany. "Callie and I returned forty million dollars worth of jewels and received a reward just under four million dollars." Tiffanys eyes widened.

"Did you say four million??" Callie smiled smartly to her.

"Well, three point eight five million if you'd like to be informed of the specifics, dear." She said pointedly. Chet smiled as he loved seeing his wife to be gaining the advantage.

"Yes, that was the exact figure. And before you ask since I have observed you eyeing Callie's ring, that it is just under twelve carats, flawless and colorless and costs just under half a million dollars." Tiffany cleared her throat.

"Well, aren't you two fortunate? And Cal, I love the new look. It's so, err, different for you." Callie smiled cooly and turned to Chet.

"Shall we go to the kitchen and see how the cooks are coming along?" Chet smiled and nodded.

"But of course." he said and escorted her into the house. Tiffany stared blankly at Frank.

"Forgot to mention a thing or two I noticed. How did that all come about? I mean engaged? And what is she doing looking like that? Trying to make herself look younger." Tony took on a look of annoyance. He looked to Tiffany.

"She doesn't have to look like anything. And by the way she is younger if you hadn't noticed." He said and walked into the house. Frank shrugged.

"This is gonna be fun. But don't pay too much attention. Come on, lets walk for a bit." Tiffany half smiled and got up and joined him. They walked along, Frank took a breath.

"I'm sorry about that. I have been snapping at her for days now and she has basically just fired back. I was a little taken back by the engagement, but Hell, they have known each other for a long time. It isn't as if they don't know each other." Tiffany nodded with a half smile.

"Well, now I know why he never really encouraged our relationship. He has had his mind elsewhere." Frank shrugged.

"I can't be sure anymore to be honest. They sure took to each other in the intimate sense pretty quick." Tiffany raised an eyebrow.

"You sure they weren't into each other that way long before now?" she speculated with a critical air. Frank shook his head.

"It's not either of their style." he said flatly. Tiffany pursed her lips.

"Is it her style to be such a bitch??" Frank raised an eyebrow then sighed.

"You are of course referring to the little display of power?" he asked. Tiffany shrugged.

"Well, she about shoved that diamond ring down my throat and to make it a point of how much they got as a reward." Frank half grinned as they walked near the garage.

"Lucky she didn't bring that up." he said gesturing to the new Jaguar a few foot away. Tiffany dropped a gaze to the car then back to Frank.

"That is hers?? She bought that??" she asked flatly. Frank sighed

"Actually as I understand it, Chet bought it for her as an early wedding present." Tiffany had walked closer to the car and was looking it over. She noted the window sticker and coughed abruptly.

"He paid a hundred grand for her car?? God Frank, if she is that damn good in the sack..." Frank rolled his eyes and coughed strongly.

"Please don't say things like that, Tiff, ok? I know you two apparently have some disdain for each other, but resorting to cheap shots isn't going to do anything but lower the both of you." Tiffany gave a snort.

"Pretty hard when your man's ex who appeared to be more of the librarian type turns around and sheds half her clothes, gets a tattoo and a piercing and just for kicks finds a few million dollars and my former man. I am Not supposed to be slightly pissed?" she asked incredulously. Frank gave her a stern look.

"You are entitled to be pissed but it isn't going to help matters to play petty games. Now my dad gave the OK to ask you along on this trip to try to recover the lost money. As I told you there is a reward for it. If we find it I get a share of the ten million dollar reward..." Tiffany looked up shocked.

"Did you say ten million is the reward?? How much are you trying to find??" she asked. Frank shrugged slightly.

"It is reported to be around one hundred and ten million that the insurance companies are after." Tiffany looked a bit more pleased with life.

"So, if you guys find it how much would you get?" Frank smiled.

"Enough to make me happy. Dad wants to keep the unit small so word doesn't get out. So, anyway, you wanna tag along?" he asked. Tiffany gave a half smile.

"Guess I'd have to deal with Callie on this trip. huh?" she asked. Frank smiled.

"It won't be so bad. We won't have to travel out with them. Dad suggested I take you out by road with the supplies while the others fly ahead and get some preliminary scouting done." Tiffany sighed then smiled.

"Well, ok. I suppose if it means you could get a cut of that reward I wouldn't want to step in the way." she said and wrapped her arms around Frank.


	21. Chapter 21

Back in the dining room Callie was sitting back taking a long drink of champagne. She sat back with Chet with a peevish look. Tony walked in a moment later. He poured himself a glass and sat down. He looked at the two with a somewhat bewildered look.

"That woman is amazing. What gall!" he said. Callie looked up.

"What, she managed to even offend you too??" she asked not all that amazed. Tony shook his head with amazement.

"She's a back stabber I will tell you. She had the gall to say you were trying to make yourself look younger!" Callie sat up. Her eyes afire.

"She what?!?" callie started. Tony half smiled.

"She had the gall to say that your make over was an attempt to make yourself look younger." Callie stood up.

"I'm going to ring that bitch's neck!" she started to move towards the door. Chet stood up and held her back.

"Now, now, Angel. She isn't worth it. As much as I like a good cat fight I certainly don't find it becoming for a lady of your class. Now mellow down and take it easy. She will get hers, I promise. Hell, she's dating Frank. That should prove to be an endurance test." Callie took a deep breath and smiled slightly.

"Well, that much is true. But if that little whore says anything in front of me I will have my day with her." Chet nodded.

"Fair enough, Angel." he said. Tony nodded.

"She is just green with envy, Callie. She saw what she may have had and what she does have and probably doesn't like it much." Chet nodded.

"Very true. Come on baby, let's see if we can help out in the kitchen. Food is about done." Callie smiled and nodded.

"Ok, lets go." They walked in to the kitchen where the elder ladies were finishing up what smelled like a wonderful meal."

"Hello all, anything Chet and I can do?" Callie asked. Gertrude Hardy smiled.

"Certainly dear. I just sent Fenton out to round up the others. Get the pitcher of water and set out the napkins. Iola is finished with setting the table." Callie smiled and went to fill the pitcher with water. She and Chet carried then into the dining room. The others were taking their seats. Fenton, Kelly, Frank, Joe, Tiffany, Tony, Mr. Morton and Mr. Shaw were seated.

"You have a great place, Callie." Mr. Shaw said with a smile to his daughter.

"Thanks dad, but Chet was the sweetie who had the brainstorm to buy it. Water, dad?"

"Please." he said. Callie smiled and poured some into a glass.

"Tony? Joe?" she asked coming around the corner of the table with the pitcher.

"No thanks." Tony said, "Got a beer handy already."

"Yes, please." Joe said offering his glass closer. Callie filled it. She moved on.

"Frank, need some water to cool yourself down, sweets?" she asked with a smile that could be easily called pretentious. Frank cleared his throat.

"Sure, Cal." Callie poured. She looked over to Tiffany and bit her lip. With an air of forced sincerity she smiled.

"How about you, Tiffany? Would you like me to pour you some water, or would you just like to open your blouse and tap some??" Tony stifled a outburst of laughter. Tiffany looked up with a stunned and angry look. Frank nudged her and shot her a look. She cleared her throat.

"Er, no thanks." she said without looking up. Callie noticed that Tony, Chet and even Mr. Hardy were having difficulty covering up smiles. Callie grinned and went about serving the rest.

The meal was finally served and the meal passed with peace and a degree of enjoyment. The elder Hardys, Mortons and Saws were all pleased with the events and discussed the future of their children. By eight that evening the parents were all apprized of the upcoming mission, but Mr. Hardy felt it necessary to keep the location of where they were going a secret for now. This was something that the others were used to. A half an hour later, the elder Mortons, Shaws and female members of the Hardy family left wishing the others the best of luck on their mission. Mr. Hardy summoned the others onto the deck to discuss the upcoming plans.

"Alright, gang. Here is the plan. Keep the facts straight as the less paperwork that shows our intentions the better. But if you need to take notes please code them. Ok, tomorrow, Frank will drive Chet's SUV loaded with supplies for surviving in the mountains will take off early morning. You are to head to a town called Fair Play, Colorado. A small mountain town isolated high in the Rockies. This is the only lead we have. We know he has a place in or around that town and the money could be anywhere. Also in the morning, Joe will pilot the others to an isolated airstrip that according to my sources is just ten miles to the west. The coordinates are in this flight pack." he said handing Joe a bundle. "Joe, I want you to file a flight plan only on the first leg of the journey. We can

journey. In case anyone is monitoring us we must not leave them a paper trail to follow. I have already had the jet fueled and checked over. It should be ready for you in the morning, son. I have briefed Kelly in depth and he will be of help to you when you arrive. He will also brief you in the plane. I myself will be unreachable for at least five days, but I will be out there as soon as possible. I will also be out of radio contact for those days, but you ma reach Frank by short wave upon arrival." he said pausing. "Time is of the essence, group. Right now the lead is ours and under our hat as best as we can figure, but there are possible other gang connections which may know Sharpton well enough to know he had a place in Colorado and more importantly he was there recently. Don't take this as a walk in the park. Be on your guard and watch out. Stay armed and keep your eyes open. Criminals aren't the only things up there that could harm you. There is some pretty active wildlife there. So be on your toes. Just remember that we did get most of the gang, but there are some that slipped through. Some of which are the ones that took attempts on your lives in the hollow. The best we can tell is there is a pair of higher ups still at large for sure. They go by the names of Boggs and Nelson. We think one or both were the ones taking pot shots at you at your first camp site in the hollow and were the ones that made those screaming sounds to try to stir you away from your camp." Mr. Hardy smiled to the group.

"I recommend that for security reasons you all stay here tonight. I assume you all can fit into this big house for one night without any problems." he looked significantly at Tiffany and Callie with a slight look of amusement.

"Sure can, Mr. H!" Chet smiled following his lead. Though if we all want beds and such we will end up in the guest house which was furnished when I bought it. But as that house is about fifteen hundred square foot in itself I think we will still be fine." Mr. Hardy smiled.

"Very good, you will forgive me for not staying but I promised Mrs. Hardy that she could have at least one night with her husband at home and not jumping about the globe worrying her silly." Frank smiled.

"Good enough Dad. Thanks for the briefing. We will be off first thing in the morning." Fenton Hardy smiled.

"Very good, I will let our clients in on that your on your way in the morning. If there's nothing else, I should be going." he said rising.

"Have a good rest Dad, we will talk to you from Colorado." Joe said. Fenton Hardy smiled.

"Thanks son. And don't make Kelly play chaperone. You kids play nice." he said walking off towards the driveway. Joe turned to the others.

"As if we could ever play mean." He smiled. Chet rose.

"Well group, let me show you to the guest house and we can get settled.

"Sounds good." Frank said. "I am beat." Chet led the group into the guest house which was nicely sized and boasted three bedrooms in itself. Though one of the bedrooms was definitely out of commission as it was piled to the rafters with excess furniture and goodness knows what else. Many boxes were stacked to the ceiling. Chet led them down a hallway, he stopped before one door and opened it. It had a bed, lamps, night stand and television. Chet looked over to Frank.

"Hey dude, you and Tiffany can crash here if that works for you." Frank nodded gratefully not wishing to have any further altercations that night.

"Thanks Chet, Come on, Tiff." Tiffany half smiled at the room which was smaller than the others and was a bit rank in odor from having been closed up for what was likely many months. She followed Frank in however and the door shut. Chet continued down the hall. He opened the door to another bedroom. He looked over to Tony.

"Tony, since you are recovering from a gunshot, it only fair to give you the other real bed." Tony nodded gratefully.

"Thanks Chet. With the full day ahead I can use every bit of sleep. Goodnight all." he said and walked in and shut the door. Chet motioned to another door.

"That's one of the rest rooms for anyone who needs it." he said. He walked on to the large living room which was huge by comparison to most. It had three sofa and a pair of recliner, a television and assorted other furniture. He looked to Joe, Iola, Kelly, and Callie.

"Reckon the rest of us will have to rough it. I noticed a pair of these sofas turn into beds." Kelly smiled to the two couples.

"Looks like I will take the one that doesn't seein as how my other half isn't here." Chet smiled.

"There are some blankets in that closet I think." he motioned towards the door that was in the immediate hallway adjoining the room. Kelly walked over and sure enough it was piled high with flannel blankets and even some pillows.

"Looks like those folks who owned the house didn't bother cleaning it out. Looks pretty well furnished. Lucky for us." kelly drawled. Iola and Joe pulled out the other two sofas and converted them quickly into beds. Chet let out a large yawn.

"Well these may only be sofa beds but they look mighty comfortable to me. He kicked his shoes off and dropped his pants. Iola looked mockly to him.

"And you call me bad for last night and here you go dropping your pants in front of four other people." Chet grinned.

"Well sis, being as I am a man with boxer shorts and a T shirt, I don't think I'm going to excite anyone. I think were are in pretty close company." he said jumping into bed. Callie smiled.

"Right you are Chet, though if I can ask you for your T shirt it would be most helpful." Chet smiled and took his shirt off and tossed it to Callie. She Threw it on over her crop and then tangled about inside it and pulled off her crop and bra without exposing herself to anyone. She then dropped her pants which unavoidably flashed her sparsely covered cheeks to the others before she jumped under the covers. She looked up to the others.

"Sorry about that." Kelly let out a chuckle.

"Quite alright Miss. Shaw. I have daughters your age and am used to that routine. Doesn't phase me a bit." Joe smiled.

"I was phased Callie if it makes you feel better." He smiled. Iola looked at him with mock disapproval.

"Now, now, Joe Hardy. You are to only get phased by me." She said, now more comfortable that Kelly was disinterested and immune to young ladies running about in their under things. She threw off her crop and dropped her pants. Joe rolled his eyes with apparent delight. She jumped under the covers.

Joe dropped his trousers and button down shirt and jumped in next to her. The feeling of contentment was there with the two couples. They were far too respectful of Mr. Kelly and the others to ever do anything more than just cuddle together but all was very nice as they settled down for the night. Chet reached over to the end table and switched off the lamp. The only light that remained was the bright moonlight of the cool October night than shone through the windows.

"I love the clear light from the moon." Callie said softly. "Seems brighter up here on the cliff."

"It's kind of like this out in the desert." Kelly drawled reflectively. Joe gave a chuckle.

"I remember that moonlight oh so well, Kelly. When we were stuck out at that farmhouse with all those nuts people hanging around trying to do us in. I remember I couldn't move around out in that moonlight as it was so bright." Kelly let out a chuckle.

"Oh Joe, heh heh, I remember those lunatics. Trying to beat us over the head. Sabotage our cars and that funky talking they did. Whew! Glad we sent those guys up the river. They are still getting over it out there. That was a bad group. But I remember trying to sneak around out in that light. Wasn't easy." Iola smiled.

"I bet that was fun for you guys. But it's so peaceful here. Just the light wind blowing outside. The old apple trees out there blowing about. It's pure solitude. It's going to be such a good sleep, I can..." her words never finished as they became somewhat distracted by noise coming from the bedroom. It was unmistakable. Sure as anything, Frank and Tiffany were going at it. Apparently they had assumed that everyone in the living room had fallen asleep by the lack of lights. The noise became even louder as Tiffany screamed.

"Oh yeah! Frank baby, drive it in!! Yeah!!!" Callie couldn't help but cough abruptly.

"Oh please!" she muttered. "Frank couldn't inspire that in the bedroom if he wanted." The noise did not lessen.

"Yeah, Frank! Oh my god, it's so huge!" at this Callie let out a torrent of giggles.

"Must be dark in there." she laughed. Joe and Iola both snickered as well. Chet was so overcome he had a pillow over his head to muffle his laughter. Callie coughed.

"Yeah, she wishes it was is more like it. Is she faking it for our entertainment or to inspire Frank where those implants left off?" Kelly cleared his throat.

"Does kinda sound like one of them porno films, don't it now that I think about it." Joe let out a laugh.

"I don't know what's gotten into Frank. He'd never do this with others in the house like this. He's way too inhibited, and I thought respectful for that. Must really be in need or letting Tiffany talk him into that silliness." The noise continued despite their laughing earlier which they were sure must have been heard.

"Oh Frank baby, your gonna shoot for me now. Please baby. Shoot it all over me. Oh God!! Yes! C'mon baby, harder. Shoot it all over for me baby!!!" Callie was bent over in laughter.

"Oh god, I think she thinks we are going to feel jealous because our ex's are in there doing it." Chet laughed at this.

"Oh yes. I am so jealous. I just want to run in and stop it." The torrent continued.

"Oh yeah Frank." Tiffany squealed. "Do it now. Shoot for me now.. Oh yeah!..." they soon heard Frank let out a stifled grunt. "Oh yeah baby, all over. Oh yeah! There must be gallons of it!" Callie let out a high pitched laugh that was assuredly heard in the other room.

"Try drops, hun." she called over her shoulder. Chet and Joe both snorted in laughter.

"More info than I needed to know about my brother Cal." Joe said. "Of course the little performance in there is more than I needed to hear." Kelly chuckled lightly.

"Amen. The way they carried on in there you'd have thought you were listening to Harry Reams and Ginger Lynn." Joe burst out again.

"Those are porno actors, right Kelly? Just to make sure my memory serves." Kelly chuckled again.

"Yep. From years back when I was a younger man and watched such things. Sex was so fake in those films. I know your brother needed to get laid, but that little lady in there with the fake rack was obviously a porno actress in another life or she was trying to get on someone's nerves. And I think she indirectly got on mine." Callie sighed.

"Afraid she probably did it to get on my nerves. Like I was still morning Frank or that Chet felt he was missing something from his days with Tiffany. She needs a clue for sure. Sorry Mr. Kelly." Kelly laughed a bit.

"Don't think anything of it, Miss. Callie. You guys in here are respectful enough not to retaliate and I appreciate that. Because I know you all could probably do so if you were inclined under other circumstances."

"It does lack good taste, that's for sure." Iola said. "Well, sounds like their five minutes is up. I guess we will have peace for the rest of the night."

"Thank goodness. Night all." Kelly said sleepily and pulled the covers over his head.

There were no further disturbances that night. By six the next morning Kelly stirred. He had not even bothered removing his clothes from the night before. He stood up and staggered half asleep into the kitchen.

"God, tell me them people who lived here left some coffee." he muttered to himself as his began searching through cabinets. He was surprised to see many food items still remained in them. Luck was with him as a few minutes later behind an unopened bag of sugar was a can of coffee.

"Thank you God!" Kelly smiled. He took the can out and went about preparing coffee and searching for some cups. Soon the smell of coffee entered the house and Chet began to rise. With his nose in the air. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked down to Callie. She slept so peacefully. He bet over and kissed her cheek. She fluttered and smiled. A moment later her eyes opened and she looked up.

"Morning Angel." Chet said softly. Callie smiled.

"Do I smell actual coffee Darlin? Were you a sweetie and left the house to get some?" Chet smiled, then shrugged.

"Actually Angel I have no idea where it came from. Maybe Kelly did. He seems to be up. He threw the covers off and pulled his pants on. Callie took a magazine off the end table and threw it over onto the sofa bed that Iola and Joe were laying on. The magazine hit a lump and there was movement.

"Hey, who is throwing things?" Iola sputtered from under the covers. Callie laughed.

"Get up sleepyhead. Smell the coffee."

"Coffee!" the voice of Joe echoed as he turned over and threw the covers off. He sat up sleepily.

"I do smell coffee. Thanks for making it Chet." joe said. Chet smiled.'

"Not me, cousin. I think Kelly got it." as if an answer to this supposition Kelly walked back into the room with a steaming cup of coffee.

"We lucked out kids. There was coffee in the house." he said taking a sip.

"And not bad considering God knows how long it has been in the cabinet." Joe stood up and threw his pants on.

"Good enough for me. Thanks Kelly." He said. Kelly smiled.

"Hard to start the day without it." Iola rolled over and slid into her jeans. Kelly smiled at the ease Iola was able to slip her form into the tight pants.

"Hats off to you missy, my daughter takes a week to slide into hers. I keep telling her if she buys pants that are her actual size she won't have that problem." Iola giggled.

"That wouldn't be any fun for a girl, Kelly. Gotta show the boys you keep in shape." Kelly chuckled.

"Well, sometimes it shows the boys you don't keep in shape." Joe laughed.

"Yeah, I sometimes wonder how a size eighteen woman can feel comfortable trying to squeeze into clothes that are way too small only to result in their overall appearance looking silly." Chet smiled. He looked over at Callie who was just standing up. She was still in his shirt and a thong.

"Well, Cal, you sure don't have to worry about that." he said with a fixed gaze. Callie smiled and looked about the floor.

"Now where did those pants crawl off to?" she asked looking about the floor. A moment later they heard a door creak open and a moment later Frank and Tiffany walked in.

"Morning all." Frank said somewhat sheepishly as if he knew the actions of the night before were well known. Kelly took on a grin.

"Morning, Harry. Ginger." He said to the pair. Tiffany reddened in the face a little but raised an eyebrow when she noticed Callie standing there in Chets T-shirt and a thong. She was somewhat grateful that Chet's shirt was on her as she didn't have to see Callie's breasts who were every bit as big as hers, if not slightly larger. Callie found her pants and quickly slid into them. Tiffany looked at Chet.

"Your topless hun." she said approvingly. Chet rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Well, I borrowed Cal my shirt last night. She needed it more than I did." Callie cleared her throat after she watched Tiffany's gaze upon his chest for more time than she preferred.

"Well, Sweets, I am done with the shirt, so you can have it back." she said pulling off the shirt and tossing it to him. All eyes directed to Callie, who was now topless with her large breasts jutting out. Kelly quickly turned his head. Iola slapped Joe in the head for looking a little too much. Tiffany looked and turned red. Callie was sure it wasn't necessarily all embarrassment, but perhaps a little anger and envy as well. She slowly and deliberately walked over to where her crop was laying. Which was inches from Frank's feet. She bent over slowly watching Tiffany and Frank out of the corner of her eye. Chet coughed. Callie retrieved her top and slid it on slowly inches from Frank. Frank tried to avert his gaze but failed. Callie took on a knowing look and gazed over to Tiffany then turned and slowly walked towards the kitchen. She sang a line from a familiar song by The Pretenders she liked.

"You can buy those squishy little silicone sacks, but they won't feed the world like the one's that are packed naturallyyyy..." she disappeared into the kitchen. Tiffany stood there with a scowl, then looked to Frank.

"Very subtle Frank. Did you ever hear of turning your head??" she scolded. She turned and walked out of the house. Joe and the others looked to Frank.

"She's a loaded pistol, Frank." Joe said. Frank looked agitated.

"Tiffany's the pistol?? After Callie just pulls that routine??" Chet cleared his throat and stepped up.

"You didn't seem too offended by that routine, as you put it. And I believe Tiffany is the one who started it. To say nothing of the crap she was doing last night." Frank reddened.

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry about that. She did seem to make it a point to not be subtle." Kelly snorted.

"Subtle?? It sounded like you all were doin auditions for Deep Throat Part Two." Joe gave a chuckle.

"He's got you there bro. I mean Tiffany was doing her best to get our attention.." Callie walked back into the room with a cup of coffee and snorted.

"Try overkill on that count." she said flatly, then looked up to Frank. "Maybe she does something for you that I never did, but come on! Screaming out about your giant penis and gallons of... well, I not only know better than that, I think it's pretty cheap to scream things like that out when you are damn well aware there are other guests just feet away in the other room." Frank took on an air of agitation then looked up.

"Kind of like doing it on a desk in an office, huh Cal?" he said. Callie's eyes turned to fire. With one strong swoop she slapped him across the face. Frank, who was in shock with wide eyes stood there motionless.

"Frank. You do not ever disrespect me that way again! If your pissed about the choices you have made and are trying to save face with that little tramp out there, then forget it! I personally don't give a damn! Now, we do have this case to take on and we do need to approach it with a bit of professionalism. Don't forget, I am an equal partner on this one and she is just along for the ride. So keep that little bitch out of my face or I will not hesitate to fire right back at her! I wont even go into the apples and oranges you just compared with that analogy of me doing it on a desk. I will point out that the big obvious difference being is that there was no one else in the whole building! We weren't disrespecting anyone or anything, save Chet's desktop calendar. You needed to get laid so I approached what happened last night with a grain of salt. But tell the tramp that her little games aren't making me jealous or filled with regret. She can have you with my blessings. And I really hope you two can be happy together or that you can find someone that makes you happy. So take off. You have a long drive ahead. We will be in touch when we land. Ok?" She backed up and took a chair. Chet, who was about to launch into Frank for his last comment, stood back thoughtfully since his wife to be had just effectively defended herself. Frank cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry Cal. Your right. About everything I expect. Maybe this long drive will help out. Or hurt. I can't really say. I'm sorry to the rest of you too. Uhm, I will reach you on the frequency when your ready, Joe. We are going to go now." he said. Joe smiled with some sympathy for his brother and nodded.

"Ok, Frank. Take care. Be careful. It's a long drive." Frank nodded and turned and walked out.

Kelly took a cigar out and lit it. After exhaling he half smiled and looked at the others.

"Days like this I thank God I have been married for twenty years." he said. He took a chair next to Chet, was holding Callie close.

"You ok angel?" he asked her. She took a deep breath, smiled and looked to him.

"Yeah. It's gonna be ok. Hopefully she is in her place now and won't play that game." Joe smiled and nodded.

"You got some spirit girl. Never in my day would I have thought you to do what you did. But if I may ask,,,,' he began. A look of puzzlement crossed his face. Callie smiled to him.

"You were about to ask if I was deliberately flirting with Frank when I took the shirt off?" Joe smiled and blushed.

"Yeah, I guess I was." he said. Callie smiled.

"Well, it was more geared to impressing upon Tiffany that her fake rack didn't intimidate me and that Frank could easily look at another pair if made available." Chet smiled.

"Speaking as a man who has seen both racks, my dear. You win hands down." Joe coughed and slowly nodded.

"Well, I might not have seen Tiffany's rack, but I can certainly attest that yours was..." he suddenly felt a sharp jab in the side by Iola's arm and a stern look. "Yours was only second to Iola's in my humble opinion." Iola laughed as did Callie, who nodded.

"That's right Joe. You were about to get nailed for just looking by your other half there." she said. She then heard Chet clear his throat. She turned to him. He had a smile and a steady gaze upon her chest. She looked down and reddened. It had slipped her mind that she hadn't yet put her bra on and her nipples were pronounced nicely against the thin material of her crop.

"Oh, excuse me." she said softly searching around for her bra. Chet gave a chuckle.

"You could free fall like that all day as far as I am concerned Angel, but you might get to distracting others." Callie smiled and looked up from her searching.

"Well, I'd hate to give the wrong impression. Especially since those basically belong to you now." Chet coughed and smiled.

"That sounds pretty possessive Cal, how about we just say they are for my exclusive use." he said with a laugh. Kelly chuckled.

"Well gang, much as I'd like to go back in time and talk about young ladies and their breasts we have a little matter of a case at hand. And I know my boss and your dad, Joe probably wouldn't take to kindly to us having a lengthy review of Miss. Shaw's ample bosom." Callie laughed and looked over to Kelly.

"Well, your opinion is noted in that closing remark. But I believe your right. I am proud of my,, er, gift, but any more talk of this will definitely get me to thinking a bit too self consciously." Joe smiled and pulled out a cell phone.

"I will check on the plane. We should have time to go by the Shaws and Mortons for clothes and such on the way out." Iola nodded.

"That will work." she said heading to the kitchen for some coffee. Callie and Chet, sat on the couch. A moment later the other bedroom door opened and Tony sauntered out. He grinned sheepishly at the pair.

"Morning guys. Hope I didn't hold you up. I went out like a light last night." Chet smiled.

"Poor guy. Missed all the excitement." Tony raised an eyebrow.

"Excitement?" he repeated. Chet nodded.

"Let's see, if you went to sleep after you went in to the bedroom then you most likely missed Frank and Tiffany rehearsing for an upcoming porno film. Then earlier this morning you missed Tiffany being a smart ass bitch, and Callie flashing her bad boys to all of us, then Callie slapping Frank in the face and a few select words. It was pretty fun." Tony coughed and smiled.

"Guess I am the lucky one missing Frank and Tiffany going at it, but gee Cal, have to say I'm disappointed at missing you and your bad boys." Callie reddened.

"Thanks Tony." she said looking down at her chest. "You'd never think these breasts would warrant so much attention." Chet smiled and looked down at them.

"Well, along with the rest of you, they are pretty special. I certainly like resting my head on 'em. As well as other things." Tony coughed.

"Wait till I leave the room if your going to demonstrate." he laughed. He looked about.

"So did Frank and Tiffany depart?" Chet nodded.

"Yep, five seconds after seeing Callie's bare breasts, Tiffany got a nasty look on her face and stormed out." Callie hit Check with a mock push.

"Enough about my chest already." she giggled. "But yeah, they are out of here. I doubt we will see them for about three days,, maybe more depending on how fast he drives." Tony nodded.

"Cool, so are we leaving soon?" As in answer to this Joe came back into the house and smiled.

"Morning Tony. All is ready at the airport. We are ready to boogie." he said.

"Great." Chet said. He stood up. The group finally managed to get together and Chet locked up the guest house and they walked towards the garage. Chet looked to the others.

"Ok, how about Callie, Iola and Tony take the Volvo and make the rounds to get our stuff and bring it to the airport. And Iola, grab the Yellow duffel out of may apartment. It has some gear in it we may need." Iola nodded.

"Cool, bro." she said. The three got in and Iola pulled out. Chet turned to Joe and Kelly.

"I noticed your dad left some of your gear that was in my ride here for use on this case. Do you need anything else?" Joe shook his head.

"No, there's plenty in there." he motioned down to a pair of large duffels. Chet smiled then turned to Kelly.

"How about you detective? Need anything?" Kelly smiled.

"I travel light. Long as I have my piece and some cigars and coffee I am good to go." Chet nodded and the group got into Callie's Jaguar. Joe smiled and looked over his shoulder to Kelly in the back seat.

"Buckle up, Kelly. Chet is a bad enough driver when there isn't four hundred horses under his foot." Kelly nodded, heading the advise and smiled.

"Keep it between the ditches, son." Kelly drawled. "I don't think that pretty lady of yours would take too kinds to you wrapping up her new car." Chet smiled with a nod.

"I believe your right, sir. She took care of that Buick from day one and if it wasn't for three hundred thousand miles of wear it would probably be still reliable." Kelly grunted.

"That isn't even too bad. I have a sixty eight Buick Wildcat. Thing has over four hundred thousand miles on it." Joe gave a laugh.

"Is that the same Buick that broke down on us that night about fifty miles outside of town??" he asked. Kelly laughed.

"Well, no car is perfect, Joe. Especially out in the desert areas. That can be mighty hard on a motor." he chuckled and glanced over at the window sticker which he could read even from inside the car.

"Good lord, Boy! You gave near a hundred grand for this car?? My house didn't cost this much." Chet laughed.

"Well, I did get a good deal on it. Only seventy thousand." Kelly gave another snort.

"My house didn't even cost seventy grand. This is a nice car though. Just be careful about turning that pretty young wife to be of yours into a woman who has constant material needs. Some of the nicest ladies I have known over the years that had a few dollars come their way.. Well, they changed. And not for the better. Kind of like that girl of Franks. Any girl who is that young and has a good degree of natural beauty like she does who still has to get a damn boob job,, well, that doesn't speak well." Chet nodded.

"Tell me about it. Tiffany is clearly that type and I think she and Frank, who is basically pretty damn conservative will clash. And I am watching my step with Callie. She has a lot better head on her shoulders so it will hopefully stay away from her. I don't have too many worries of her there, but I also don't intend to throw a bunch of material things at her. I mean the house and the ring kind of came as incidentals as we didn't plan or expect them. This car is first real extravagance that was given to her that actually cost. But I see your point, Kelly. It is always best to be aware of such things." Kelly smiled.

"I think you guys will be ok. Most people I have seen who get a hold of any sizable amount of cash tend to quit their jobs right then and there and are seldom heard from again." Joe nodded.

"Very true, Kelly. Which points out an obvious notion. If we recover these funds then each of us stand to be handed around a million bucks. Which is not chicken feed." Kelly looked up.

"Certainly isn't. But it also is an amount that if carelessly handled one can go through it very quickly."


	22. Chapter 22

Chet sped along north of the city and within ten minutes reached Bayport Airport. Chet took a side entrance that was reserved for those who actually kept private aircraft there. Chet showed Joe's access card at the checkpoint and drove on. He soon had the car parked in a private long term area. The three got out and opened the trunk. They retrieved the luggage they had and walked around to one of the private hangar areas where the Hardy jet was kept. Per Mr. Hardy's instructions the plane had been pulled outside to a standby area where planes were parked by those who were planning on departing that day. Joe looked up to the sleek aircraft as they climbed the steps. Joe found it puzzling when he found the fuselage door open.

"That's odd." he started. "They usually don't leave the doors open like this. Once they bring it out they lock it back up tight."

"Hard to get good help these days." Chet started. Joe led the way into the cabin. Chet and Kelly stowed the bags in the rear baggage compartment. Joe made his way into the cockpit and went about a preflight check. The cockpit was not really separated from the passenger seating the way it was on a commercial jetliner. The pilot and copilot seats were about 6 foot in front of the passenger seats, of which there were eight. A curtain separated the seats but was usually held to the side. Chet walked up.

"Need a hand Joe?" he asked. Joe smiled.

"Have a seat and read down the checklist." Chet nodded.

"Right, boss." he said taking a seat. Kelly cleared his throat.

"I'm gonna go out and have a smoke and wait for the others." he said. He wandered back down the steps of the plane and lit a cigar. He exhaled deeply upon seeing a silver Volvo heading his way. Momentarily the car entered the long term parking area and four people got out. Callie, Iola, Tony and Bill. They carried several pieces of luggage. Kelly puffed again and waved.

"Hey there. Right on time." Bill was lugging the bulk of the luggage in light of Tony's injury.

"Hey there, Mr. Kelly. Can you show me to the cargo storage bay?" Kelly smiled.

"Sure, let me help you, son." he said offering to carry a couple bags. Callie and Iola had there arms full with their bags. Tony sauntered along with them as they waved to Kelly and made their way up the steps. Kelly gestured to an exterior compartment door.

"Looks like a cargo bay here, Bill." Bill nodded gratefully.

"Seems like a good place to me." he said setting down the bulky luggage. Kelly twisted the cargo door latch and the door popped up on a spring loaded hinge. He and bill stowed the baggage inside and Kelly secured it. He and Bill were the last to go up the steps. They found Chet and Callie sitting in the front passenger seats. Iola and Tony took the second row. Kelly gestured to Bill.

"Guess we are in the nosebleed section." he smiled pointing to the third row. Joe turned around from his pilots seat and smiled.

"We should be out of here in about ten minutes or so. We will take the first leg to Kansas City then refuel." Chet gave him the thumbs up.

"You the man Joe. But remember, no turbulence. Callie isn't real fond of that." Joe smiled and gestured a light shrug.

"I'll do what I can. But I can't control the weather." he smiled again and took a seat. He began flipping switches and put on a headset. A moment later he turned on a series of switches that dimmed the cabin light a bit.

"Starting one." he said. Though since he had no co-pilot it was more a statement made out of habit. A roar occurred as one of the motors turbines started to turn. He looked down and check a series of gauges.

"Starting two." he said. He flipped a couple switches and the second motor roared to life.

"Checking pressure. Ok. He switched on the main transmitter and dialed into a frequency.

"Tower, this is Alvista Seven Five Niner. Requesting permission to taxi. Over." The radio crackled back

"Alvista 759, you are clear to taxi on SW12 and proceed to waiting for runway two niner. Over."

"Roger tower. Alvista 759er proceeding to SW12 to await clearance for runway two niner. Over." with that Joe pushed up one of the throttles ever so lightly and set his foot hard on the right rudder. The sleek aircraft moved forward. Joe looked over his shoulder to Chet.

"Hey pal, you wanna ride shotgun at least for the takeoff? Frank not being here throws me off a bit." Chet gave a half smile. He had been in the right hand seat on occasion though he did not posses a pilot's license or could really fly more than a few minutes in ideal conditions.

"Sure Joe." he said stepping up and taking the right hand seat. Chet put his headset on and tuned it to runway control frequency.

They slowly moved along until they reached the holding area for runway two nine. The thing about runway two nine is that it directly bisected runway one five. There was an element of danger in using the two runways together. But tower controllers had become adept to spacing aircraft landing and taking off so that no time was wasted, yet no two aircraft reached the intersection at the same time. Pilots, uncomfortably aware of the dangers of using both runways at once obeyed controllers orders implicitly. Joe smiled to Chet, who had played the part before, but the added element of both runways operating at the same time made him sweat a little. The radio crackled.

"Alvista 759 you are clear to taxi onto runway two niner." Joe swiftly and expertly jockeyed the jet onto runway two niner. Peering out through the side window Chet could see the lights and approaching flight about to touch down on runway one five. Chet flipped his mike button.

"Tower, Alvista 759 holding on two niner, we see the landing cross traffic." Joe smiled to him.

"Make ya nervous Chet?" Chet gulped.

"Sure wish they would have had more land to build the runways separately."

Even before the landing cross traffic had bisected their runway the radio crackled again.

"Alvista 759 cleared for take off. Go man, go!" Those final three words were not in any air traffic control manual. But to controller and pilot they had an identical meaning. Get the Hell moving! There's another flight landing right after the last. Already they could see the figure of another aircraft approaching the other runway.

Joe had not waited. He slid the main throttles up to their full extent.

"Trim throttles" he said, and briefly held the toe brakes on allowing power to build. He then released the toe brakes and the jet shot down the runway. Chet clicked the mike button.

"Alvista 759 rolling." he said. Joe applied forward pressure to the control yoke. Speed built. Chet called.

"Eighty knots." Joe nodded and released nose wheel steering and took the control yoke. Runway lights flashed by at a rapid pace. At one hundred and thirty five knots Chet called out

"V-one" which indicated to Joe that they were at the decision point to still abort the takeoff if needed. Now they were beyond v-one and the takeoff had to continue. They flashed through the intersection and saw the landing lights of an approaching plane. Callie screamed at how close the planes came to each other. At one hundred fifty five knots Joe eased the yoke back, the front wheel left the ground and they were in the air. Joe said quietly.

"Gear up." Chet flipped a switch and they heard a motorized sound of the gear going up.

"Flaps twenty." Joe said. Chet moved the flap selector from thirty degrees to twenty. There was a brief sensation of sinking as the wing flaps which provided extra lift at takeoff came up.

"Flaps up." now the flaps were fully retracted. Joe smiled and clicked his mike button.

"Turning portside one eight zero. Leaving fifteen hundred."

"Roger Alvista 759, your clear for twenty five thousand." Joe kept the aircraft climbing.

"Roger Bayport. Alvista 759 requesting thirty three thousand feet. Over" the aircraft climber through most of the clouds and came upon the bright sun and clear sky. A moment later the radio crackled.

"Alvista 759 climb to 33 and hold. One six zero. You are leaving our airspace. Please contact Philly control at 118.56. Over" Joe smiled.

"Roger that. This is Alvista 759. Thank you boys." He soon had the jet leveled off at thirty three thousand feet. He set the course and the auto pilot. He turned to Chet.

"Thanks pal. That helped." Chet smiled.

"Happy to oblige with what little I know." Tony smiled.

"You know more than us Chet. You might not know how to fly but you have your controls down pretty good as far as I am concerned." Chet grinned and stood up and went to sit back with Callie.

"Ah, now all I need to do is learn to fly and I'd be in good shape." He turned to Callie.

"Did I hear a scream earlier? Those intersecting runways are pretty scarey, huh?" Callie gave a large sigh.

"Uh, yeah. Nothing like saving money and scaring everyone who rides in a plane in the process." Chet nodded.

"Very true." he said. Bill looked forward.

"Joe, do you have any refreshments in the plane?" he asked. Joe looked over his shoulder.

"Sure, should be some in the rear fridge. Ice too." Bill got up.

"Thanks!" he said walking to the rear of the plane. He fished through the ice box and found a six pack.

"Anyone but Joe want a beer?" Bill asked. Iola, Callie and Tony all signaled for a drink. Bill brought forth 4 bottles and passed them out.

"Here ya go guys." he said. Callie finished her beer in about ten seconds. Chet looked at her in amazement as she downed the bottle. He chuckled.

"You don't like flying, do you angel?" She shook her head.

"Not particularly. Always been that way. And these smaller planes make everything feel even more unstable." Chet put an arm around her.

The rest of the flight to Kansas City went uneventfully. Joe set the plane down at three in the afternoon. He guided the plane along a taxi way to the area where private planes could fuel up. He pulled into a bay and shut the motors down.

"Alvista 759 out for fuel." he said and got up. "Ok folks. Anyone caring to stretch their legs, have a smoke, or whatever else we should be out of here within a half an hour." Iola smiled and got up and wrapped her arms around Joe.

"Sounds good. Shall we go get a bite to take along when we pull out?" Joe nodded.

"A very good plan sweetness. We can keep moving and get there by early evening." Iola turned to Callie.

"Let's grab some food for the next leg of the flight." Callie nodded.

"I need to stretch definitely." She turned around to Chet and kissed him and smiled.

"Anything special you want?" she asked him. Chet smiled.

"Just yourself and a couple cheeseburgers if you can manage it." Callie nodded.

"Cool. We can do it. C'mon, Iola." The two vanished down the steps. Chet, Joe, Bill, Tony and Kelly walked down the steps at a slower pace. Joe went to make fueling arrangements. Kelly went to find an area designated for smoking. Chet and the others walked around the ship inspecting. Chet smiled as he looked about.

"What do you look for Chet?" Tony asked. Chet gave a half shrug.

"I'm not a pro, Tony, but generally if you see leaks or damage that seems obvious. Commercial pilots know exactly where to look and what are the weak points of their aircraft. Joe could probably qualify with enough hours and training. It's a cushy job."

"I'm with Callie, myself." Tony said flatly. "I prefer it on the ground whenever possible." Chet smiled.

"You could have driven. Tagged along with Frank. Would have been fun." Tony shook his head.

"Well, if you put it that way, I suppose flying is easier. I don't think I want to be riding with those two for two thousand miles." Bill grinned.

"Seems like Frank is really having a time getting over Callie and adapting to Tiffany, as well as whatever other issues he is having." Chet nodded.

"He was about to have me rip him a new one this morning but Callie beat me to it." Tony grinned.

"That would have been sweet to watch." A moment later Joe came about and saw his friends.

"So here we are in Kansas City guys. What a place huh?" he said looking around to the area of industrial progress. It was not very pretty to say the least. Bill smiled warily at the area.

"Will be nice when we hit those mountains. I love that area." The others nodded. A few minutes later Kelly walked up.

"Got us fueled up Joseph?" Kelly asked. Joe nodded.

"They should have our tanks topped off by now. Any sight of the ladies?" Kelly shook his head.

"Not as yet, but they should be along." A few minutes later as sure as he said it the ladies came back loaded with bags of take out from the air port food court. Chet smiled at the sight of food.

"Thanks, Cal. I am starved."

"When are you Not??" Bill asked with a chuckle. Joe went off to finish with the fueling. The others headed up the steps of the aircraft. Iola passed around bags which were eagerly taken. A moment later Joe came up the steps with a smile. He secured the door and took a bag and a kiss from Iola.

"Don't mean to kiss and run, Sweetie," he said, "but a little birdie just told me that if we don't get off the ground quick, the afternoon rush of commercial takeoffs will keep us on the ground over an hour." Iola nodded.

"Totally understandable." she said. "Get us out of here." Joe smiled and went trough pre flight prep and soon had the jet on the taxiway. Luck was with him as he was able to find a slot early in the lineup and was off the ground within ten minutes. Chet took a seat back with Callie after he helped Joe with the liftoff. Callie sat back with her eyes closed. The plane was giving more rattle and shake than on their first leg. Callie seemed to be extra sensitive to the turbulence. Chet placed his hand on hers. She took her other hand and placed it on his arm and took a breath.

"Nothing like hitting some bad weather when traveling at five hundred miles an hour." Chet smiled.

"It will be ok. Joe is a fine pilot and we will be there in no time." Iola looked over her shoulder.

"You ok?" she asked noticing Callie's anxiousness. Callie nodded with a forced smile.

"Yeah. Just makes me nervous when we go through bad weather." Joe looked over his shoulder.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but according to the last radio report I got there will be some pretty nasty storms over the mountains." he said. Callie tensed.

"Great." she smiled with a sigh and turned to Chet.

"When this is over would you have any problem with say taking a nice train back?" Chet grinned.

"Hmm, let's see. Stuck with you in a small sleeper compartment on a train traveling slowly back... think I can handle it." he said with a smile. He knew that Callie was truly not a fan of flying and didn't wish to make her anxiety level increase by refusing such a reasonable request.

The poor weather increased as time went by. The relatively moderate weather over Kansas yielded to greater turbulence as they entered Colorado in the early evening. Chet looked up to Joe.

"Say Joe... where is this air strip located?" he asked. Joe looked down at a chart.

"Place called Tarryall Creek. About forty five minutes off... unless the storm really kicks in." Chet raised an eyebrow.

"Sounds like a thriving metropolis. I hope you can land a let there." Joe grinned.

"I'm guessing dad figured that one out prior to suggesting it as a landing area." Chet nodded.

"I'm sure he did. Guess the weather has me a bit nervous." he said ominously as he looked out the window and saw the clouds getting more dense and darker my the moment. The air pockets slammed into the jet causing heavy turbulence. Callie apprehensively grabbed Chets arm as the jet lurched. She took a deep breath, then sat back. Chet smiled gently and held her hand.

"It's almost over, angel. We're almost there." he said soothingly. She forced a smile of bravery for him. Inside she was feeling so sick. Anxiety and stress were taking their toll. She would be happy to get on the ground.

Moments later amidst the air pockets there began a torrent of rain. It slammed against the small plane in sheets. Joe took a breath.

"This is Alvista 759, Denver, request a higher altitude. It's getting bumpy." a moment later the radio crackled.

"Alvista 759, climb to twenty two thousand, heading one six zero."

"Roger, Denver. Alvista 759 climbing to twenty two thousand, heading one six zero." he said and began climbing. He looked over his shoulder.

"Hopefully this will help get us over this mess or at least lighten it up."

"I hope so." Iola said fretfully. She was normally very at ease with air travel. The turbulence and blowing rain was making her more nervous.

The jet climbed but unfortunately the storm wasn't much different at the higher altitude. In some ways it was worse. There seemed to be considerably more lightning at the present altitude. It was growing darker by the minute.

"Say, Joseph..." Kelly started, "there's nothing to be concerned about, is there?" the detective very much wished he could have a smoke. Joe forced a grim smile as he held the control yolk firmly as it jerked about.

"Whats wrong Kelly, don't like a little storm?" he said. Kelly snorted.

"Not when I am up here where it starts. I prefer to be down on the ground on my front porch." Joe smiled in spite if the situation.

"I'd have to agree with you today, Kelly. Your front porch sounds pretty damn nice." he said under his breath. Bill leaned up from his seat.

"You ok, Joe?" he asked as the lightning flashed. Joe took a breath.

Just this damn lighting. It's always bad up in the mountains but I've never encountered anything like this." As if a higher power had been taunting him as the storm worsened by the moment there was a huge thunderous sound that shot through the plane! Suddenly one of the console lights started flashing sounded and the plane lurches severely to the left and began to descend!

"Shit!" Joe yelled pulling back on the yolk. He hit a button on the console. "We've just been hit by lightning!"

"The right engine is on fire!" Tony yelled. The plane started diving downward. Joe pulled back on the yolk and the plane gave a tremendous lurch. Joe was caught off balance and his head flew forward and slammed into the console! He did not get back up! Chet flew out of his seat, as did Iola. Callie screamed. CHet pulled Joe back off the seat. He was clearly unconscious!

"Help him!" Chet snapped to Iola and took the yolk. Sweat pouring off his brow as he applied heavy pressure to the right rudder. The right engine fire warning alarm was still going off. He feathered the engine and shut off it's power. He grabbed the headset that fell off of Joe and rapidly placed it on.

"This is Alvista 759, Mayday! Mayday! Alvista 759 at one seven thousand at one eight zero! Over" No response came. Chet repeated his Mayday call. He pulled back on the yolk and placed the thrust back. He was not able to even it out.

"That engine shot craps after the lightning hit it! The lightning may have hit a hydraulic line as well. My rudder doesn't seem to be fully responsive!"

"Oh my God! Oh God! I don't want to die!" Callie shrieked. Tony and Bill edged forward to help her calm down. Kelly held tightly to his seat and started breathing harder than he was. Iola had Joe sprawled on the floor and was administering first aid.

"Bill!" Chet called. "In the right hand seat. I need you to help with the rudder!" Bill took a breath as the plane lost altitude. He jumped forward and took the seat next to Chet.

"Both feet on the right rudder man! As hard as you can!" Bill, still in great shock nodded tersely.

"Ok." he said and held his foot down. Chet tried switching frequencies on the radio. He repeated his SOS. The plane continued to spiral downward. Chet pulled with all his strength on the yolk while he and Bill applied pressure to the right rudder. Iola looked up with fear in her eyes.

"Chet, do something! Are we going to crash???" she asked. Chet looked down at her desperate, teary eyes. He forced a smile. He looked over to his fiancé. He felt useless seeing her trembling in fear. He turned back to the controls.

"SOS...SOS.. This is ALvista 759. We have lost right motor due to fire. My controls are non responsive! I repeat rudder and stabilizer trim are non responsive!! SOS!" He cut the throttle slightly and held the yolk firmly.. The controls responded only slightly and the plane was still descending at a breakneck speed! Chet closed his eyes briefly and whispered a prayer. The plane continued it's descent towards the mountains. Chet and Bill held the controls firmly. Grim expressions clouded their faces. The others were frozen in fear. Callie was hyperventilating. Chet fought back his tears seeing this as he fought the plane's handicapped controls with all his power. Iola looked up from the floor next to Joe. She froze in fear seeing the expressions of her brother and Bill's faces. The plane continued it's vicious spiral downward towards the snowy Rockies!...


End file.
